Lyrics of Our Lives
by MrandMrsStinson
Summary: Swarkles one shots written with the prompts of song lyrics. These are set in two different worlds. Odd number chapters are in a divorce world, even number chapters are in a married world. Rated T to be safe. Please R/R!
1. Treat You Better

**_A/N_**

 **Hey guys! If you've clicked on this story, YOU ARE AMAZING! So yeah, this amazing show ended 4 years ago but I am sure I'm not the only one who still loves it. So, this story is a collection of song lyrics that I used as prompts to write one shots. I really wanted to get something published ASAP but I'm still working on my baby of a story. I started that before the finale but never had the guts to publish it, so I'm currently finishing it and polishing it off before I publish it. Please read and review (so I know someone's reading) and enjoy!**

 ** _Treat You Better_**

 _I know I can treat you better than he can._

 **2032**

Barney sat across the room from everyone, sipping his scotch. They were all laughing at a joke Marshall told. He watched as Ted snaked his arm around Robin's waist. Jealousy began to fill him. Why is he jealous? He shouldn't be jealous. Robin's not his anymore.

Barney always thought he and Robin would grow old together. But, they got divorced sixteen years ago. Ellie was born twelve years ago. Tracy passed away eight years ago. Robin and Ted got back together two years ago and got married last year. This was their one year anniversary party.

As it got later, Barney started to notice things. Little things, about the way Ted treated Robin. He acted like she was his slave instead of his wife, asking – _demanding_ – she clean up spilt drinks and get cheese platers.

"At least she's good for something." Ted said, while Robin was wiping the table where Ted himself had spilt beer. It was quite uncharacteristic of Ted to say something like that. Robin laughed it off, but Barney could tell that that joke had hurt her feelings. Robin chucked the napkin in the bin and crawled back onto the couch with Ted. He put his arm around her and pulled her unnecessarily close, looking Barney in the eye as he did it.

Robin pulled his arm off and moved further away. "Ted, no."

"Come on, Babe." Ted replied, trying to pull her closer. She shook her head. Luckily, he stopped. Barney was angry. Robin didn't deserve a guy like Ted. She deserved a guy who was kind and respected her wishes. She was way too good for Ted.

Barney waited until the party was dying down before he confronted Ted. All six of the kids were upstairs on their phones and Lily and Marshall had fallen asleep on the couch. Barney was helping Ted and Robin clean up.

"Ah Ted, can we talk for a minute? On the patio?" Barney asked.

Ted glanced at Robin. "Ok." The two men went outside and closed the glass sliding door behind them. It was a nice night with a warm breeze. "What do you want to talk about?" Ted questioned.

"Robin." He replied.

Ted's eyes flashed with anger and a little bit of jealousy. "I'm married to her. She's mine, Barney."

"Don't say it like that! She isn't yours! She isn't anybody's! She's a human, not property that you can own! She doesn't _belong_ to you Ted!" Barney yelled. "You treat her like crap. ABSOLOUTE CRAP! She's the most amazing woman in the world and she deserves a man who treats her better than you do."

Ted scoffed. "Yeah, like you treated women better. You talked about them like they were objects!"

"I never took advantage of a woman. If she said no, I never pushed her. And I gave every single woman a choice. You aren't treating Robin like your wife. You can't treat her like that. This is 2032 not 1932. Women aren't servants to the men anymore." Barney replied.

Ted rolled his eyes. "Right. Because you were such an amazing husband to Robin. That's why your marriage only lasted three years."

"It was a mutual divorce, Ted. You know that." Barney mumbled. That statement had hurt.

"Was it Barney? Was it really? Robin was pulling away from you and throwing herself into her job because you were a crappy husband. You were emotionally unavailable." Ted stated. That made Barney angry, because it wasn't true. Only he and Robin knew the reason she started keeping to herself and pulling away, and he was sworn to secrecy by her.

"Tracy was going to leave you." Barney mumbled. He had not meant to say that. Tracy had asked him not to tell Ted, but she wasn't here anymore and Ted was on his high horse thinking he had a picture perfect tragic love story and thought that the he could treat Robin with the same disgusting behavior he had towards Tracy.

"What?" Ted asked, angry.

"Tracy was going to leave you. She told me. We met up a lot because I was miserable, missing Robin and she was angry from being treated like crap. Then she got sick. You were a horrible husband to her, and you're a horrible husband to Robin." Barney informed him. Ted was shocked. "I know I did, and I still can treat Robin better than you can."


	2. Because I Had You

**A/N**

 **Ok so being the dork I am, I smiled for ages when I saw that people were at least reading this story. The last chapter wasn't exactly happy but this one is, I promise. Please read and review, even if it's a bad review, I want to know how I can improve or if people are enjoying this! Thanks!**

 ** _Because I Had You_**

 _I think it's time that I be honest. I should've told you not to go. Thought I knew just what I wanted. I didn't know myself at all._

 **2016**

The tension in the room was unbearable. The lawyer was explaining something but Robin wasn't listening. Barney's eyes were fixed on the pen in his hands so she figured he wasn't either. She played with a string of thread on the end of her skirt before realizing it was silent and both Barney and the lawyer were waiting for her to speak.

"Sorry what?" She asked.

"Mrs Stinson - sorry - Ms Scherbatsky. I asked if you are okay with Mr Stinson taking the apartment." The divorce lawyer asked.

"Oh. Yeah sure. It's his place." She mumbled before looking down again.

It took another hour of the lawyer asking which assets would belong to who and both Barney and Robin just agreeing, neither really caring. Neither seemed to care about anything anymore. It was a horrible feeling. Finally, the final document was placed before them. Robin noticed Barney's hand shaking as he signed. She placed her head in her hands to hide the tears that had started to fall. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. She put her pen to the paper before sighing in defeat and dropping it.

"I can't do it." She simply said. "I can't sign the paper. Sorry Barney. I know this is what you want but-"

"I can't sign it either. I only said I wanted the out because I thought that was what you wanted." Barney interrupted.

"Want to know what I want?" She asked. He nodded. "I want to work this out. I want you, Barn. That sounds disgustingly cheesy, but it's true."

He smiled. "That's my girl."

"So, we agree? We're staying together? No divorce?" Robin questioned.

"No divorce." Barney replied. He turned to the lawyer. "Would you be so kind as to shred these documents?" The other man nodded. As he complied to Barney's wishes, Robin took a shaky breath.

"I need to be honest. I should've told you not to go. I thought I knew just what I wanted. Turns out I didn't know myself at all. I thought I wanted my career. I shouldn't have chosen it over you." Robin said.

"And I shouldn't have been so selfish and petty. Towards the end, I lost track of what we were fighting about half the time. It was about Wi-Fi at one point right?" Barney asked. Robin shrugged and pulled him closer to her so she could kiss him. Finally, Barney and Robin were back right where they belong: together.


	3. Like To Be You

**A/N**

 **I changed the summary because I wasn't sure if it was clear what I was doing. I'm doing two separate parallel universes in this story. One, is a canon universe where Swarkles are divorced and the other is an AU where they stayed together. I'm using song lyrics as prompts. Everything will be revealed eventually. The canon one shots are the odd number chapters and the AU one shots are the even number chapters. This is a canon one and is entirely different from the previous 2016 story. Enjoy!**

 **PS: Thank you FictionWriter91 – your reviews made my day!** **J**

 ** _Like to Be You_**

 _Can I kiss you or not? Cause I'm not really sure right now of what you want._

 **2016**

It was past midnight. Barney was exhausted. Robin was too. He could tell by the way she kept rubbing her eyes. They were both way too stubborn to admit they were tired and give into the fight though. He forgot what had started this fight. Did he start it, or did she? Barney couldn't even remember.

They seemed to be fighting a lot lately. About everything. It was beyond exhausting. It had started about a few months ago. Around the time Penny was born.

 ** _September 2015_**

 _Ted had a child. Finally. Penelope Lillian Robin Mosby. Now, he could make all the corny dad jokes he liked without it being weird. Good. Robin and Barney had gone to visit the happy and exhausted couple in the hospital. Both Ted and Tracy had fallen asleep, leaving Robin and Barney with Penny. They didn't mind._

 _"_ _She's so cute." Robin cooed._

 _"_ _She looks like Ted." Barney noted._

 _"_ _Yeah, but she's got Tracy in her too." Robin said._

 _Barney smiled at his wife. She looked so natural holding a child. What he said next just kind of slipped out. "What do you think about us having one of these someday?"_

 _"_ _What? No! No, Barney. No! We can't!" Robin replied in shock._

 _"_ _Sorry, but is it so wrong of me to suggest that we have a baby? We've been married for over a year and love each other." He replied._

 _She looked down at the baby. "I can't Barney. You know I can't. My uterus physically cannot bear a child."_

 _"_ _You know there are other ways of having kids, right? Adoption, surrogacy, IVF-" Barney listed._

 _"_ _Barney, stop!" Robin cut him off. "You said you were okay not having kids! You said I was all you needed."_

 _"_ _Yeah but…it might be nice." He said. Robin gently put the baby back in her bassinet and then stormed out, angry. She didn't want kids. Barney knew that. He also said he didn't want kids. This wasn't supposed to be a problem they were going to have. This wasn't even a conversation they were supposed to have._

 _Since then, they never really spoke about having kids again, but Robin knew Barney wanted them. It was the start of all their fights, the ones that broke them up. Kids were the main reason the divorce happened. But, both Barney and Robin vowed not to tell the gang. They didn't need to know every detail._

 ** _Back to the present – 2016_**

Barney at Robin. She was sitting on the couch beside him, lost in her own thoughts. At least she wasn't yelling. Or crying. One night, the fight had been so long and emotionally difficult that she started sobbing. That had scared him. "Robin?" He asked.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Can we go to bed?" He asked.

"Yeah. That sounds good." She responded, standing up.

He hesitated before following. "Can I kiss you or not? Because I'm not sure what you want." She nodded and he planted a kiss on her lips. When they pulled away she went into the bedroom and he followed.

That was just another night of fights. Another night that years later, he wished he could go back and redo, just to be able to kiss her again.


	4. Never Grow Up

**A/N**

 **You guys literally have no idea how happy I am that there are some people reading this. Please leave a review with feedback so I know how to improve, to tell me if you like this or if you have any suggestions for songs I could use as prompts: I'm open to anything. Thanks!**

 **PS: Just a reminder that this story is in a completely different universe to the last chapter. But in the same as the second chapter.**

 ** _Never Grow Up_**

 _Darling, don't you ever grow up. You can stay this little._

 ** _2017_**

Barney stood in the kitchen, watching his girls. Robin was seated on the couch nursing the baby. Scarlett Grace Stinson was born 2:37am, August 11th, 2017. She weighed 5 pounds and seven ounces. Now, she was eight days old and he and Robin were getting the hang of parenting. Barney honestly never thought this would happen to him. Just over nine months ago, he and Robin had been in a courthouse, almost signing divorce papers. They had come to their senses and not, thankfully. If they had have followed through with the divorce then Scarlett wouldn't have been born. He remembers when he had found out Robin was pregnant. That was a horrible day, most of which he had spent in the hospital, but it was also a beautiful day.

 ** _November 2017_**

Barney and Robin had officially cancelled their divorce five weeks ago. It felt amazing to him, to have her back. They had announced it to pretty much everyone, so telling everyone they were staying together was all kinds of strange. The gang were thrilled, naturally. As for Loretta, not so much. She was happy to see Barney happy but she hated Robin for as she so politely put it, "She ripped out my Wov-Wov's heart and smashed it to smithereens."

The only people they hadn't told yet was James and Tom. Today, Barney was supposed to be going over to his brother and brother-in-law's house and was going to tell them then. He had told them he was bringing a date, but hadn't said that date was Robin.

"Nervous?" Barney asked as they walked up the street towards James and Tom's place. She was fiddling with her engagement and wedding rings, a habit she had developed and tended to do when she was anxious or nervous.

"A little." Robin admitted. "I don't know what you guys have said behind my back. And if James is anything like his mother, then he's going to be very displeased."

Barney shook his head. "James isn't like mom. He loves you. He'll be exhilarated we're back together." By now they were outside of the house. "Just remember the plan okay?"

Robin nodded. The layout of James' house was that there was a bathroom to your left as you stepped into the house. She would go inside and give James enough time to try and talk Barney out of dating. Then she was going to come out.

They stepped up to the porch and Barney opened the door without knocking. He took Robin's coat and made a big display of saying where the bathroom was. She closed the bathroom door just as James, Tom and Sadie came around the corner.

"Uncle Barney!" The six-year-old threw herself into her uncle's arms.

"Hey Sades." He said. When he let go he greeted and hugged James and Tom.

"So, where's your date?" Tom asked.

Barney shifted Robin's coat in his arms. "Bathroom."

James nodded. "Barney I think you're moving too fast. You shouldn't be dating yet. You and Robin got divorced, what, a month ago? You need to give yourself time to heal. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Robin. I know she's still the love of your life and you still care about her. What would she think if she saw you with your arms around another girl?"

Robin chose this moment to open the bathroom door and come out. "So, should I just go or what?"

"AUNT ROBIN!" Sadie squealed, running to her aunt.

"Robin!" James said, delighted. As soon as his daughter let go, he pulled her in for a hug and then looked at Barney expectantly.

"We worked things out. We're still married." Barney explained, slipping an arm around his wife's waist.

It wasn't until after lunch that things started to go wrong. Robin was abnormally quiet and pale. Barney didn't really notice until he was throwing the football around with Eli and Sadie. Her lips had started swelling.

"Babe, are you okay?" He asked, dropping the football and rushing to her side. She tried to respond but her lips were too swollen. Barney's eyes widened as he realised it was an allergic reaction. He had dealt with her having them multiple times before, but she hadn't had one in a few years. He racked his brain trying to remember what things she was allergic to. "James, were there any pecans in anything?"

James looked over anxiously. "No."

"Lobster?" Barney asked.

"Yes. Why? Is she allergic?" He asked.

"Very allergic. I don't have her EpiPen. She didn't bring her purse either. James, call 911." Barney was trying to stay calm. James nodded and went to get his phone.

Barney was pacing the hospital waiting room nervously. He knew Robin would be fine and that she was in safe hands, but he still worried.

"Barney come sit down." James pleaded. Barney shook his head. They had already been here for at least five hours and not a single person had given him an update about his wife. It was a couple more minutes before a doctor finally came out.

"Mr Stinson?" He asked. Barney leapt to his feet.

"Where is she? Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay." Barney started rambling.

"Robin's fine. But um, Mr Stinson, can I talk to you privately?" The doctor glanced at James.

"This is my brother James. He's Robin's brother-in-law. He can hear." Barney replied.

The doctor nodded and glanced at his clipboard. "Err, to my knowledge, neither you or Mrs Stinson were aware that she's pregnant, were you?"

"WHAT?" James and Barney asked at the same time.

 ** _Back to the present- 2017_**

Everything had worked itself out. Barney and Robin talked it over and were happy to be parents. Scarlett was their little miracle baby.

"Oh, babe. She's finished. I think she said she wants daddy to burp her. Yeah, and she said she wants mommy to go take a nap. A seven-hour nap." Robin said.

Barney smiled. "Go take your nap, Scherbatsky. I've got her."

Robin gave an exhausted smile. "Thanks Barn." She headed towards the bedroom. Barney smiled down at the little girl in his arms. He reached out and tucked a chestnut colored curl behind her little ear.

"I love you Scarlett Grace. More than anything in the world. Well…besides Mommy." The baby made a little giggle and Barney grinned. "Darling, don't ever grow up. You can stay this little forever. Mommy and I will hold you close forever."


	5. The Hardest Thing

**A/N**

 **I love the platonic relationships in this show. Also, this chapter has a lot of dialogue. Do you think it's too much?**

 ** _The Hardest Thing_**

 _We were so in love and we thought it'd last forever._

 **2024**

It was Sunday afternoon. It had been a tradition for Barney and Tracy to take the kids to the playground since Ellie was born. They would get ice creams and then watch the kids play while they talked about their lives. Tracy was Barney's favourite person to talk to about the divorce. She was the only one who really got it. She knew the pain of losing your loved one because she lost Max. Tracy also understood that sometimes Barney felt like Robin had died. It ended so quickly and he hadn't seen her or spoken to her since Tracy and Ted's wedding. That was four years ago. He missed her.

"Hey! How are you?" Tracy asked. She was late. Penny and Luke scampered away into the playground and ran to meet Ellie on the swings.

"Alright, but today's always a hard day." He replied, looking at his feet.

"Why…Oh. Is it?" She checked her phone and sure enough it was. May 25th. What would be Barney and Robin's eleventh wedding anniversary, if they were still together. Wordlessly she put her hand on his back, comfortingly. "Do you miss her?"

"Like crazy. It's just, we were so in love and I thought it would last forever, you know?" He said.

Tracy nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. I wish you two were still together. You were made for each other."

Barney glanced around the park. A couple was sitting on a bench across the park. The woman had a shiny engagement ring on. Another couple were rocking their son to sleep. He briefly wonders what his life would be like now if he was still with Robin. "I still love her. With every fibre of my being. Then I feel like I'm a bad dad or something. If Robin and I were still together than Ellie would never have been born. I just miss her so much."

Tracy looked him in the eyes. "Barney, loving Robin doesn't make you a bad dad. I promise you that. You're allowed to love your daughter and Robin at the same time."

Barney sighed. "I couldn't stop loving Robin any more than I could stop breathing."

Tracy smiled. She remembered Ted telling her that Barney had told Robin that back in 2012. "I know."

Barney shook his head, as if trying to shake the bad memories away. "So, how are you guys?"

"Uh, pretty good. I'm kinda getting annoyed with Ted though."

Barney looked at her, puzzled. "What? Why?"

"He's super protective. Like he owns me." She supplied. "For example, we saw Louis yesterday."

"Your ex Louis?" Barney clarified.

She nodded. "The entire time we were talking to him, Ted had a firm grip around me and was acting strangely affectionate. Trying to kiss me a lot and everything. He was boasting too. Youngest architect to have a building built in New York and stuff."

"Huh. That is weird." Barney commented.

She nodded. "Yeah."

That was the beginning of Ted and Tracy's problems. If Barney even knew a slither of what was to come, he would have been much more concerned. He and Robin were supposed to stay together. Ted and Tracy were supposed to grow old together. Unfortunately, sometimes the universe has other plans.


	6. Grenade

**A/N**

 **I love writing Barney and Robin as parents. I wish they were endgame :(**

 ** _Grenade_**

 _Yeah, I'd die for you baby_

 **2022**

Robin had forgotten how exhilarating laser tag was. The last time she and Barney had come was in 2014. That was because apparently, parents found it 'creepy'. But now, they could bring their nieces, nephews and Scarlett. This game was girls vs boys. Barney, Marvin and Luke against Robin, Scarlett, Daisy, Penny and Maggie. Marvin and Luke complained about how unfair it was that there were two more girls, but Barney assured them that they could easily take them down.

Robin had her back against a stack of tires when she felt a sharp tug on her wrist, pulling her behind it. At first, she was frightened, it was too strong to be a child. Then a kiss was pressed to her cheek and she relaxed slightly.

"Barney? We're supposed to be against each other." She stated.

"I know, but Marvin's right there. He was about to shoot you." Barney said.

She smiled. "Thanks for saving me."

"No problem. You're my wife. I can't let some little brat beat you." He replied.

They stayed, crouched behind the stack of tires working out their game plan. It was way more fun to play with each other than against each other.

"Uncle Barney, you're a traitor." Marvin yelled. "Come out. One of you gets it. Who's it gonna be?"

Barney and Robin played along with his act. "Me." Robin said.

"No!" Barney yelled.

"Yes. I love you." She replied, kissing him before stepping out from their shared hiding place. Marvin grinned and pointed the gun at his aunt. As he shot, Barney stepped out from behind the tires and shoved Robin, taking the hit himself. Robin reacted quickly, grabbing her gun and shooting Marvin. She then ran to Barney, who was fake dying on the ground.

He smiled up at her. "We make a good team."

"An awesome team." She corrected, offering him a hand and pulling him to his feet.

As they were preparing to go after the other kids, there was an ear-piercing squeal and the sound of a child sobbing. "Mommy! Daddy!"

"That's Scar." Robin said, sticking her gun in the holster. Her eyes softened and she went off in search of her four-year-old child, Barney not far behind her. Luke was standing next to Scarlett, looking concerned and scared at the same time. Robin reached down and pulled the young girl up in her arms.

"You okay baby girl?" Barney asked. Robin wiped the tears from her daughter's face.

"Lu-Luke p-p-pushed me o-over." She sobbed into her mom's shoulder. Barney scowled and shot at the five-year-old boy.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my team!" Luke protested.

"Sorry buddy, my girls come first. You try and kill Aunt Robin or Scarlett and I will kill you." Barney replied.

Robin smiled and pulled Scarlett around to rest on her hip. "Barn, want to go kill our nieces?"

"Hell yeah." Barney replied.

That was exactly what they did. Robin played with the slight handicap of her daughter on her hip, but Barney covered for her. They had Daisy, Penny and Maggie out within minutes. They played a few more games, Barney and Robin winning every single one. It earned them a lecture from Lily later, about how Barney takes the game to seriously and how they were 'hurting' the kids' self-esteems. It was worth it though.

Barney, Robin and Scarlett make a good team.


	7. In Case You Didn't Know

**A/N**

 **I hated how Ted and Robin got back together. And it's not just because I'm a huge Swarkles shipper. She told him she didn't love him, but he kept pushing. Also, did I get too OOC with Robin in this chapter? Thanks for reading! :)**

 ** _In Case You Didn't Know_**

 _You had my heart a long, long time ago._

 **2031**

Barney knocked on the door to Robin's room. He couldn't believe this was where she and Ted were having their wedding. The Farhampton Inn. This place brought up memories that he tried so hard to bury. He also couldn't believe that Ted had asked him to be the co-best man. Didn't he understand how weird that is? This is his best friend and ex-wife's wedding, which he's the best man at. He was gonna need a lot more scotch to get through today.

"Who is it?" Lily's voice floated from inside the dressing room.

"Me." Barney replied. Lily unlocked the door and let him in. He laid his eyes on Robin and his breath was literally taken away. She looked gorgeous. The dress was a little girly for Robin's personality, but she wore it well. The dress was a ball gown, so the skirt was huge and poufy. The bodice was lace and the sleeves were off the shoulder. Even her engagement ring looked a little too girly to belong to her. It was a cushion-cut and the diamond was huge. Barney was almost certain it was bigger than the one he had given her. It seemed like Ted was trying to make it a competition, which wasn't right. "Woah." Barney breathed.

"I know! She looks amazing!" Lily squealed.

Robin looked at Barney and then back at Lily. "Uh, Lil. Can Barney and I have a minute to talk?" Lily nodded and scurried out of the room.

Barney smiled. "You really do look amazing, Robin."

"Thanks. I can hardly move in this skirt though. And I've gotta pee, but I don't think I can. So, I'm just gonna hold it." She replied.

"It's a little…girly?" Barney's statement came out as more of a question.

Robin laughed. "Yeah, I know. Lily picked it. I guess she thought it was the polar opposite of the I wore to our wedding."

Barney cringed. He didn't want to think about his and Robin's wedding right now. He sighed. "Okay, let's cut the awkward small talk. We both know I shouldn't be here, let alone be the best man here."

Robin sighed. "I don't know what Ted was thinking. It feels like everything he's done in the past year has been to rub it in your face that he got the girl and you didn't. he purposely got a ring a carat bigger than the one you got me, and then making you the best man at our wedding? I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's your wedding day, you have bigger things to worry about than me." Barney paused. "It is your wedding day…how are you feeling?"

Robin took a deep breath. Barney recognized this as a sign she was ready to open up to him and be honest and vulnerable. "I'm alright. I'm having second thoughts, naturally. It's just…the love you and I had, it was crazy. In a good way. It was exciting and fun. What I have with Ted is…easy? Is it supposed to be easy? I'm confused. And lost. I don't know what love is supposed to feel like."

Barney shrugged. "I have just as much experience in the love department as you do. I've only ever been head over heels in love with one woman. I don't know what love is supposed to feel like either. What we had was exhausting but it was rewarding. The love I felt for you…I can't even find the word to describe what you and I had." What was he doing? Robin had cold feet and he was telling her about their love? About how it was better than Ted's? Is that what he was trying to do? Get her back?

Robin turned to look at him. "Barney I need to know something before I can go through with this wedding."

"Anything." He replied.

"Is there any chance we could be together again? At any time down the road?" She asked.

"Robin, you had my heart a long, long time ago. You still have it." He said. "But we can't be together. Nope. Not now or ever." It killed him to say that, but he owed it to Ted. You can't run away with a girl on the day of her wedding because she's scared. You just can't. When Robin had cold feet at their own wedding, Ted convinced her to go through with it.

Robin looked at Barney through the tears that were beginning to burn the back of her eyes. "I needed to hear you say that."

Barney silently hugged her. It was killing him. He so badly wanted to pull her into his arms and ride off into the sunset with her, like in those cheesy Hallmark movies Ellie's always making him watch. But, that's not how life works. Reality sucks.

They pulled apart and Barney looked at Robin's face. "Uh oh. Your makeup will start running. Lily's gonna kill me." He waved his hands frantically over her face trying to stop the mascara from running down her face. She laughed and swiped a hand across her eyes. He passed her the tube and she quickly touched up her eyes.

She put the tub down and checked herself in the mirror. "Thanks Barney."

"Anytime." He replied. He kissed her hand and left the room.

Half an hour later, he stood next to Ted and Marshall at the end of the alter and watched as the bridesmaids enter. After Lily, Penny, Daisy and Maggie were at the other end, Ellie came in. He grinned at his daughter as she threw rose petals everywhere and then ran to stand beside him. Finally, Robin and her father entered. They got to the other end and Ted took her arm.

The ceremony was short and sweet and although it hurt Barney to watch her marry someone else, Robin deserved to be happy and if Ted made her happy, he was happy.


	8. Mary's Song

**A/N**

 **Sorry I took so long to update. This chapter is long to make up for it. It took me a while to figure out this but I did it! I love this chapter so much. It's definitely one of my favorites. I was trying to decide whether Scarlett should be with Luke or Marvin, but in the end, I decided Marvin. There's a five-year age gap between them, but compared to the six-year age gap between Ted and Tracy, I figured this was fine. This is pure fluff and I love it.**

 ** _Mary's Song_**

 _And our daddies used to joke about the two of us. They never believed we'd really fall in love._

 **2040**

Robin couldn't believe where she was. She had already had to pinch herself multiple times today, to make sure this was real and this was happening. She now stood beside Barney, leaning on him as they watched their little girl. Maggie put the mascara wand down, impressed with her work. The door opened and Lily stepped in, jaw dropping when she saw her soon to be daughter-in-law. Scarlett turned around from the mirror, to face her parents and fiancée's mother.

"You look just like your mom, Scar." Barney said. She smiled and reached in to hug both her parents. As they broke apart there was a knock at the door. Twenty-six-year-old Daisy and twenty-five-year-old Penny entered.

"Woah, Scarlett! You look amazing." Penny said.

"Drop dead gorgeous." Daisy added.

"Aww thanks guys." Scarlett said with a smile. She reached out to hug her bridesmaids. Maggie, who was her maid of honor, quickly jumped in to join the hug.

Lily pulled her iPhone out. "Let me get a picture." She snapped a picture of the four grinning girls.

As they were admiring the photo and comparing it to one taken twenty years earlier, there was a knock at the door. Luke stepped in.

"Ladies, Uncle Barney. The ceremony is about to begin." He said. Everyone bustled out of the room and followed Luke to the ballroom. The room was already filled with people. At the end, in the front row, Marshall was sitting beside three empty seats. Marvin was standing nervously at the end of the alter. Luke buzzed past everyone and went to fulfill his duties as best man, by standing next to the groom. Lily followed Luke and went to take her place in the seat next to Marshall.

"Good luck, baby girl. I love you so much." Robin said, kissing Scarlett on the cheek. She smiled at her mother. "And good luck, babe. Don't trip over on the way up the aisle, okay?" The final sentence was directed at Barney. She spun to head up the aisle.

"Robin!" Barney stage whispered. Everyone was talking too loud to hear him though. She turned around to face her husband. "Where's my kiss?" She rolled her eyes. Somedays it feels like she married a twelve-year-old. She pecked him on the lips and then went to sit next to Lily.

Music started playing and Penny, followed by Daisy and Maggie made their way up the aisle. Barney entered with Scarlett on his arm and grinning widely. He got to the alter and Marvin stepped forward to take Scarlett's arm. Barney wouldn't let go of her.

"Dad." Scarlett hissed.

Robin took her husband's elbow. "Barn."

"Sorry." He whispered to Marvin and Scarlett. He released his daughter's arm and sat down beside Robin, taking her hand.

...

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest announced. Scarlett grinned and threw her arms around Marvin as they kissed. When they let go of each other, Marvin turned around to hug Luke and Scarlett spun around to hug Maggie, Daisy and Penny. Barney pressed a kiss to his wife's temple, reminiscent of their own wedding day. That was twenty-seven years ago. Now, their daughter was twenty-three and _married_. As he watched Scarlett laugh and kiss Marvin again in celebration, he wondered where the time had gone. It seemed like she had only been a baby, laughing when they tickled her toes, yesterday. The last twenty-three years were a whirlwind of her milestones. Talking, walking, starting school, first kiss, driving, going to prom. But, he wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

Later, at the reception, Barney, Robin, Ted, Tracy, Marshall and Lily were all seated at their table. They were laughing and exchanging memories while they watched their kids at the table next to them, eating.

Lily giggled, clearly having had a little too much champagne. "I'm gonna make a toast." She stood up and tapped her fork against a glass. "Hey everyone! Okay, first, I want to say thanks to everyone for being here for Marvin and Scarlett. I know it means a lot to them. They're a beautiful couple. My husband, Scarlett's parents and I are going to share a few of our favourite memories of the two of them from over the years-"

Robin cut her off. "We're gonna do what?"

"Share memories, Robin. Just do it, okay? Anyway, they've known each other since Scarlett was born, so I'll just start from then. Marvin was five and Scar was a newborn."

 ** _August 2017_**

Lily was beyond thrilled as she entered the hospital. She couldn't believe Robin and Barney were parents. Yesterday, at around midday, Barney had called her to say they were at the hospital, and she had been awake for the better part of the night waiting for him to call and tell her he was a dad. Finally, around two am, he had. She, Marshall and the kids had come straight to the hospital as soon as visiting hours were open.

"Guys, we're gonna have to be quiet okay? If Aunt Robin, Uncle Barney or the baby are asleep, you can't wake them." Marshall informed his kids. He shifted three-year-old Daisy, who was sitting on his shoulders.

"Ok." Marvin said, dropping his mom's hand and running ahead. The two had left eight-month-old Maggie at home with Mickey. She would just be trouble in a hospital. They reached the Stinson's room and Marshall pushed it open gently.

Inside, Barney was seated in a chair, transfixed on his daughter's eyes. Beside him, Robin was fast asleep in the bed.

He looked up when he heard the door open. "Shh." He placed a finger over his mouth. He was unbelievably proud of his wife, who had just suffered a nineteen-hour labor and deserved to sleep.

"Hey daddy!" Lily whispered. Barney glowered. Marshall pulled up two chairs and he and Lily sat in them, pulling Daisy and Marvin onto their laps. "She's gorgeous." Lily remarked, looking at the baby girl in Barney's arms.

"Course she is. She looks like her mommy. Besides, have you _seen_ Robin and I? How could two unbelievably hot humans not make an adorable baby?" Barney smirked. Lily rolled her eyes. Scarlett cooed and Barney's heart visibly melted.

"Can I hold her? Please?" Marvin begged.

Barney wasn't super pleased with the idea of letting someone else hold his baby girl, but knew Marvin was good with this. "Sure buddy. Just sit on your mom's lap, okay?" Marvin scampered onto Lily's lap and held his arms out. Barney got up and gently put the bundle into his nephew's arms. He kissed Scar on the forehead and stepped back.

"She's so small!" Marvin giggled. "Hi baby. I love you." He copied Barney's action of kissing the baby on her forehead and Lily thought her heart might burst of happiness.

 ** _Back to the present- 2040_**

The audience awed as Lily finished her story.

"I know right!" She said, content with the reaction. "Okay, Marshall's next."

He thought for a second. "Ok, let's skip to the Fourth of July 2020. Marvin was eight and Scarlett was almost three."

 ** _July 2020_**

"Happy Fourth of July, everyone!" Barney yelled as he walked through the side gate of Ted and Tracy's house.

"Fourth a July!" Scarlett repeated. Barney grinned at his daughter who was resting on his hip.

Lily stepped forward and took the toddler from Barney's arms. "Hey Scarly!" She cooed. Barney smiled and went to put some food they had brought on the table.

Robin appeared at the gate holding multiple bags and plates of food. "Thanks for the help, babe." She sneered sarcastically. Marshall and Tracy quickly took platters from her arms before she dropped them.

"Sorry." Barney replied, pacing over to her and kissing her temple.

Scarlett batted her legs against Barney's stomach and back. "Daddy, I wanna go down!"

"Ok, bossy." Barney said, letting her go.

"She's got a good vocabulary for a two-year-old." Ted commented.

"Yeah, Luke's only eight months older than her but she's better at talking." Tracy added.

Barney and Robin smiled and everyone went to sit back down on the deck chairs. Their eyes wandered and they watched the kids playing. The six children were piled on the trampoline. Daisy and Penny were jumping around and trying to push the other one over, while Marvin scolded them whenever they got too close to one of the younger kids, specifically Scarlett.

"DADDY!" Penny suddenly bellowed.

"What's wrong, Pen?" Ted asked.

"Can we go in the pool?" She questioned.

Twenty minutes later, all the kids had changed and floaties had been put on the three younger kids. Being Canadian, and supposedly used to cold temperatures, Robin had been forced to get in with them, to make sure nobody drowned. It was the middle of summer and the pool was actually quite nice, but she played it off to be freezing because she was annoyed that she was the one who had to get in.

"Aunt Robin, watch me!" Maggie squealed as she threw herself into the pool. Robin was splashed with chlorined water as the three-year-old plunged in.

"Babe, take her." Barney said as he dipped Scarlett's toes into the pool. Robin reached forward and took the two-year-old from her husband's grip. As she was adjusting her, Luke freaked out and started splashing everywhere once he couldn't touch the bottom anymore. Robin handed Scarlett to Marvin and swam over to rescue her nephew. Marvin swept Scarlett onto his shoulders. She giggled.

"Watch this, Scar." Marvin said. "Hold your breath." He dove underwater, holding her in place on his shoulders. They both emerged laughing and Scarlett chanting more.

 ** _Back to the present – 2040_**

"Ok, Robin's turn." Marshall immediately said as he finished his story.

"Um, I guess let's do the back to school party 2022." Robin responded.

 ** _September 2022_**

It was the end of an era. There were no more babies in the gang. Scarlett, Luke and Maggie would be starting school in two days. Tracy, Ted, Marshall, Lily, Barney and Robin were sitting on the lawn at the Mosby's house, balancing plates of hot dogs, French fries and coleslaw and watching them all playing tag.

Lily sniffed. "No more kids left."

Robin looked up. "There are literally six children over there." She gestured in the general direction of where the kids were playing and then turned her attention back to her food. She leant over and stole a fry from Barney's plate.

"You know what I mean. They're all growing up." Lily replied.

"If you want babies so bad then have another kid." Barney advised.

"Hell no. That ship sailed a _long_ time ago." Lily said. "Can you two have another baby?" That was directed to Robin and Barney.

Robin almost choked on her food. "What!"

Lily looked at her like she was asking a terribly simple question. "Can you and Barney have another kid?"

"Uh, no. No, that's not happening." Robin stated.

"Why?" Lily whined. "You already have one, it wouldn't change your life _that_ drastically."

"Yeah it would." Barney stated. "Robin and I aren't like you. We don't sit around and plan our life. We just live it. If she _were_ to get pregnant again, I wouldn't be opposed to being a father again, obviously. But we're not going to start trying or anything. I'm happy with my girls, I don't need anything else."

"But they're all growing up so fast! Soon they'll be in college and then married and having babies and moving away and never calling us! Then they'll put us in nursing homes and we'll die!" Lily wailed.

"Dramatic much." Tracy said, stifling a giggle.

"I wonder what their lives will be like. Will they get married? Will any of them marry each other?" Ted asked, curiously.

They all watched the kids intently, wondering. They all had water guns and were shooting each other and squealing. Daisy was holding Luke's arms behind his back while Penny squirted water onto his face. Maggie was shooting at Scarlett and she shrieked and took cover behind Marvin.

"Maggie and Luke would be cute together." Robin observed.

"Maybe. Is any of them marry within the inner circle though, my money is on Marvin and Scar." Marshall announced.

"Dude! That would be so awesome! Can you imagine how amazing Stinson and Eriksen DNA would be mixed together?" Barney shouted.

"SO AWESOME!" Marshall replied.

"WE COULD GET A GRANDSON! HURRICANE WAITFORIT ERIKSEN!" Barney screamed. Lily and Robin caught each other's eyes, smiled and laughed.

 ** _Back to the present – 2040_**

"Ew. You guys thought I would end up with Maggie?" Luke asked, clearly disgusted.

"Aunt Robin did." Marshall offered. "Now it's Barney's turn."

"Easy. Marvin's fifteenth family birthday party. Scar was nine going on ten." Barney smiled.

 ** _May 2027_**

"…to you!" Everyone finished singing. Marvin leant over and blew out the candles. Everyone started clapping and Lily went off in search for a knife. She found one and handed it to her teenage son. He cut into the chocolate cake and pulled it out.

"You touched the bottom! You have to kiss the nearest girl!" Maggie squealed. She, Penny and Daisy darted off to the other side of the room. Lily stepped closer, expecting him to peck her cheek. He didn't.

"Sorry mom." He stated. Marvin lent to his right and kissed Scarlett on the cheek. It took her by surprise and she blushed. He turned to his left and kissed Robin's cheek before turning back to the cake and cutting slices.

Barney narrowed his eyes at the boy. "I'll get you Eriksen. That was both my girls. My wife _and_ my daughter." Marvin grinned and handed him a plate.

He finished cutting the rest of the cake up and served them onto plates. He handed them to Maggie, Daisy, Penny and Scarlett.

"You have a crush on Marvin." Penny teased, grinning at Scarlett.

"No I don't!" She squealed.

"Yeah, that's why you blushed when he kissed you." Daisy offered. Scarlett dumped the plate on the table and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it.

"Daisy!" Lily scolded. "You're thirteen years old, don't tease your cousin. You should know better."

"Robin locked herself in that bathroom too." Marshall laughed, attempting to lighten the mood. Robin ignored him and went to the door.

"Scar? Honey, come out." She called, knocking lightly.

"NO!" The nine-year-old yelled from inside.

"Not cool Daisy. You neither Penny." Marvin said. He dropped his plate on the table and went into the front yard. He etched open the window and climbed inside. "Hey." He said to Scarlett.

"Go away." She sniffed.

"Don't listen to them, okay? They're stupid. I know you don't have a crush on me." He said. She nodded and hugged him.

 ** _Back to the present – 2040_**

"I totally had a crush on him." Scarlett laughed. Marvin smiled and kissed her.

Marshall lent forward. "By the way, you guys owe me five hundred bucks each. Told you they'd end up together."

"We didn't bet on that." Robin said.

Marshall shrugged. "Worth a shot."


	9. You Belong With Me

**A/N**

 **This is a little cliché but whatever. Sorry this chapter kinda sucks, I'm pretty bad at little dialogue stories, so it's a lot of he did this then he did that. I** ** _was_** **going to make this very sad but I have another few others in the make that are incredibly upsetting. I'm a little sadistic :)**

 ** _You Belong With Me_**

 _I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night, I the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry._

 **2016**

Barney was miserable. It had been six months since he and Robin got divorced and he was lonely. Sure, bimbos and one night stands helped for the first few months, but he missed her so much. He missed waking up with her in his arms, he missed her making him coffee, he missed having someone to talk to. He missed the vanilla bean scent of her shampoo. He missed all the little things. Ironic, right? Barney Stinson missed monogamy.

He got home from work late. It was about eleven pm. He had been in a meeting with some businessmen from another company and it ran long. He was exhausted and delirious. Barney unlocked the door to the apartment and quietly slipped in, forgetting he was alone. He climbed into bed and panicked slightly when he felt nobody next to him, then remembered. He had nobody.

...

Barney awoke at one am. His phone was going crazy with texts and calls from Lily. He groaned and picked it up, letting his eyes adjust to the light before reading them. She sounded hysterical.

 ** _Lily:_** _Barney, she's dead._

 ** _Lily:_** _This isn't fair! She's too young!_

 ** _Lily:_** _Answer the damn phone._

 ** _Lily:_** _Don't you care? You were freaking married to her._

What? His heart and brain went into overdrive as he quickly texted back.

 ** _Barney:_** _What?_

 ** _Barney:_** _Lily?_

She only took a few seconds to respond but it felt like years.

 ** _Lily:_** _Here:_

 ** _Lily:_** _Attachment: worldwidenews / breakingnews_

Barney tried to slow his breathing as he clicked on the article and waited for it to load. Finally, it did and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the headline. _Brazil Hotel Fire._ He skimmed the article.

 _Seventeen Americans were caught up in a fire in Brazil. It was started in a kitchen of their hotel. WWN's own foreign correspondent team were caught in the blaze. There were few survivors, all of which were staff of the hotel._

Barney's world was black. He quickly fired off a text to Patrice.

 ** _Barney:_** _Was Robin in that hotel?_

He didn't need an answer. He knew. He had watched an article yesterday, that she was in Brazil for. His phone buzzed and he took a deep breath before opening it.

 ** _Patrice:_** _Yes. I'm so sorry, Barney._

...

Barney woke up in a cold sweat. His heart was racing and his palms were sweating.

"Just a dream. It was just a dream." He said out loud to himself, in attempt to calm his nerves. He got up to get a glass of water and thought about all the little details in the nightmare that didn't match up, like why WWN would publish such an emotionless article at midnight. Or why Lily would break news like that to him so quickly. That didn't make sense. It was helping him calm down.

After he finished his drink, he went back to bed, but couldn't sleep. He couldn't get his brain to stop churning and imagining the worst possible scenarios ever. He needed to talk to her. He needed to hear her voice, then maybe he'd be okay.

He got up and called her. She didn't answer. So naturally, he called her sixteen more times, and began to freak out. It was the middle of the night, but now he was really scared. So, he put clothes on and then took a cab to her apartment. He had been here a couple of times, to drop off her stuff, so he knew the address.

It was only once Barney got up to her door that he remembered he didn't have a key. He knocked a few times, but she didn't answer. It occurred to him that she may not actually be in New York.

"Crap." He mumbled. He dropped to his knees and lifted her doormat. Under it was a spare key. Good. Keeping a spare key under the doormat was something they fought a lot about as a married couple, but right now, he was glad she was stupid enough to literally invite strangers into her house. He put the key in the lock and unlocked the door.

Inside it was dark, but her bag was at the door, which meant she was home. He heard stumbling and noises.

"I have a gun. Turn the light on, and don't touch anything and I won't shoot." Robin demanded. She sounded confident, but Barney knew she was terrified.

"Relax Scherbatsky, it's just me." Barney said as he reached for a light switch.

"What the hell are you doing here? You scared the crap out of me." She asked.

"I…um…" He thought about lying but decided the truth was better. "I had a nightmare. I needed to hear your voice." He admitted. She burst out laughing.

"Seriously? You had a nightmare? That's adorable." She cackled. "But seriously, we're divorced. You can't just come over to my place at midnight."

"I just…okay?" He spluttered. "Can I stay over? I can't sleep at my apartment." He couldn't stop thinking about how vivid that dream was.

Robin rolled her eyes. "Fine. You can stay here, tonight."

"Thank you." Barney said, sitting on the couch.

"You can sleep in the bed with me if you want." She stated. He looked at her, puzzled. "It's not like we've never shared a bed before." She yawned and trudged back to the bedroom. He had no idea how much she missed him, too.

Barney followed her back to her room and climbed in beside her. Out of instinct, she cuddled up to him. His eyes widened and she realised.

"Sorry." She quickly said.

"It's alright." He replied. "Stay. I like it. I've missed you so much."

"Me too." She replied, drifting to sleep.

As he too, started to fall asleep, he wondered if they could give their relationship another shot.

...

Barney awoke in the morning, in Robin's bed. She was gone, but had left a note beside the bed. _Hey, so I had a surprise trip this morning. I'm currently on a plane to Mexico. I'll see you when I get back? –R_

He fell back onto the bed. This was a harsh reminder of why he and Robin don't work.


	10. Everything Comes Back To You

**A/N**

 **So, I totally bit off more than I can chew, with this and my new himym story,** ** _Happily Ever After_** **, plus I have another story that I'll probably post later today. I wanted to update this though. Sorry it's short, I had this idea at like, 2am. I promise the next chapter will be longer. Thanks again for reading and reviewing guys. :)**

 ** _Everything Comes Back to You_**

 _You still make me nervous when you walk in the room._

 **2043**

"No. Absolutely not. That is the stupidest name I've ever heard." Scarlett argued.

"Please?" Marshall begged.

Scarlett shook her head. "No!" Marshall spun around and looked at Barney desperately. Barney snickered. Scar was so her mother's daughter. She was very stubborn, just like Robin. He knew better than to fight with either of them.

"But it's so cute! You could call him Hurry for short. Or Cane! You could nickname him Cane!" Marshall argued. Scarlett rolled her eyes and sunk into couch.

"Or Barney. You could name him after his favourite grandfather." Barney commented. Marshall glared at him.

"No, dad. We're not naming our son after you." Scarlett turned to Marshall. "And we're not naming him Hurricane." Marshall started sulking. It was only a fraction of a second later when the door opened.

"Okay, we're back. We got everything you wanted, Scar." Lily announced as she, Robin and Marvin waltzed through the front door.

"Thank you!" Scarlett called out from the couch. Lily started plating up food, while Marvin and Robin entered the living room. Marvin sat down beside his wife and naturally leant back, placing a hand on her stomach. Robin smiled at Barney and sat on the arm of his chair. He grinned at her. After thirty years of marriage, his heart still skips a beat when she walks into a room.

"So, Marvin, buddy." Marshall started. "You know me, the man who raised you? Yeah, well I have a request for you."

Scarlett groaned. "Not happening dude." Marvin looked at his wife in confusion. "He wants us to name the baby Hurricane. That's the worst name ever."

"Yeah totally." Marvin agreed, masking that fact that he thought it was an awesome name.

"Marshall, we went through this with Marvin, Daisy and Maggie. Hurricane is a stupid name. Stop trying to convince your daughter-in-law to name our grandchildren that." Lily yelled from the kitchen. Marshall slumped in his seat.

"It's okay, Marshall. That kid will be legendary no matter what his name is. Whether it's Hurricane or Barney or something else, he'll be awesome. I mean he's like what, one quarter me?" Barney asked.

"God he's screwed." Lily muttered under her breath as she entered the living room with plates of food.

Barney was right. Two months later, when William Hurricane Eriksen was brought into the world, he was awesome. Lily, Marshall, Robin and Barney all agreed that their first grandchild was indeed, legendary.


	11. Story Of Us

**A/N**

 **Love you guys :)**

 ** _Story of Us_**

 _Used to know my place was a spot next to you, now I'm searching the room for an empty seat._

 **2016**

Robin steadied the pile of presents in her arms as she reached to knock on the door. She wasn't a hundred percent sure why she agreed to this. She could be in Hawaii or Argentina right now, but no, where was she spending Christmas? Here. In New York. With her ex-husband. At least the rest of the gang would be there. The door opened and Lily was standing on the other side. There was a child in her arms. Penny, maybe? They grow so fast. Robin didn't think it was Daisy, the baby was too little. Daisy was almost three. Yeah, must be Penny.

"Hey!" Lily said, drawing her friend into a one-armed hug.

"Hey Lil." Robin said. She looked past her friend. Marshall was stepping forward to take the pile of presents she was about to drop from her arms. Ted and Tracy were sitting on the couch. Tracy was heavily pregnant. Robin had no idea how far along she was. Eight months, maybe? Then there was Barney. He was on the other couch, Marvin on his lap, and they were reading a children's book. Barney didn't even look up when she entered. He had come over to her house two months ago, after having a nightmare. Yeah, a freaking nightmare. She had left for Mexico in the morning and he hadn't spoken to her since. He ignored every single text she sent and declined every call. Safe to say she wasn't really in a mood to talk to him. As she was about to say something, Marvin bounded off Barney's lap and ran to Robin. She knelt to hug him. Crying noises started through the baby monitor.

"Marshmellow, can you get her?" Lily asked, emerging from the kitchen. She had a second child in her arms. Daisy. Where do these children come from?

"Sure, Lilypad." Marshall responded. He disappeared into the hall. Robin went to sit down next to Ted, but Lily sat there first. The only free spot was besides Barney and there was no way in hell Robin was sitting there. Instead she looked helplessly at Lily who was staring into Penny's face and cooing. She stood awkwardly in the kitchen doorway until Marshall emerged from the hallway. Maggie was in his arms. It was December 25th, and Maggie was born on the 16th. Maybe. Must've been. Robin was in London when Marshall called. That made her nine days old.

Marshall paced over to Robin. "Here." He placed Maggie in her arms and went to sit beside Lily. Robin looked helplessly at the baby in her arms. She felt Barney glaring at her. What was his deal? She looked around the room and remembered Christmas last year. It was so much better.

 ** _December 2015_**

Barney and Robin had arrived no later than five minutes ago, but had already claimed their spots on the couch and were passionately making out. They had been fighting a lot at home recently, but didn't let the gang know that. Instead, they just consummated their love in the cleanest way possible. Ted was still complaining though. He was such a wet blanket.

"Guys, there are kids around." He groaned.

"Shut up, Theodore. We're busy." Barney snapped, before turning back to his wife.

"Barney, Robin. Come on. Let's open presents now, before Marvin loses his mind." Marshall said. The two separated and looked at their four-year-old nephew. He was jumping up and down near the tree and cheering. Robin smiled and got off the couch, pulling Barney with her. They sat next to Marvin beside the tree and watched as he distributed the gifts.

The look on Marvin's face when he opened the iPad Barney and Robin had given him was worth the two hours of scolding they had received from Lily. She said it was 'inappropriate to give a four-year-old such an expensive gift' but they waved her off and completely ignored her.

…

Later that night, after the kids had all fallen asleep, the adults had climbed up to the roof and were drinking champagne. As Robin leant into Barney's ear and whispered something really dirty, she watched as he burst out laughing, and realised how much she never wanted this to change.

 **Back to the present – 2016**

It had changed. It had changed so drastically, Robin hardly even knew what happened. Now, her beloved ex-husband was glaring at her and hadn't spoken a word to her in eight weeks. She hadn't seen the gang for ages either. How she wished she could turn back time and go back to those endless nights in MacLaren's she had taken for granted. She wanted to be young and stupid again, giggling but at the same time feeling sorry for whatever girl fell for Barney's tricks, laughing at how cheesy Marshall and Lily were, cracking jokes at Ted's expense. Sharing an entire bottle of wine, a few beers and a couple of scotches without being hungover the next morning. The good old days.


	12. New Year's Day

**A/N**

 **I'm working on a new story that I'm hoping to get out on Saturday! I'll update everything on the weekend. This chapter is a little similar to last chapter, but in an AU obviously. I love you guys so much, and as always, please R/R :)**

 ** _New Year's Day_**

 _Squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi_

 **2016 - 2017**

New Year's Eve in your late thirties was sure different to New Year's Eve in your twenties. Barney realised how true this was as he looked around the room. It was ten to twelve, but Marshall, Lily, Ted and Tracy had all already fallen asleep. He wasn't going to wake them either. They looked like they could use some sleep. Marshall and Lily had a three-week-old baby and Tracy was ready to pop with baby #2. Robin was also two months pregnant, but they hadn't told anyone besides James yet. They were too scared that if everyone knew, it would jinx them or something. Barney looked up at Robin, who was standing in the kitchen doorway. He frowned when he saw her drink.

"What are you drinking?" He asked in alarm, looking at the champagne glass in his wife's hand.

"Calm down. It's just sparkling mineral water. It looks so much like champagne, though. I fooled Lily, mainly because she's drunk." Robin replied. She glanced around the room. "They're so boring. It's literally not even midnight."

"Lily, Marshall and Trace have reasons, but what about Ted?" Barney commented. The two laughed. Barney looked back at the TV. "It's almost midnight, come here." She walked over to Barney and sat on his lap, her arms entwined around his neck. He had his own arms holding her waist tightly to his body. They began the countdown softly, and quietly whispered happy new year to each other at midnight, before pressing their lips together.

"Happy new year, Barn." Robin broke the make out session to murmur softly into Barney's ear.

"Happy new year, babe." He replied. "This time next year, we'll be parents." He put a hand onto her still flat abdomen and rubbed gently, something he rarely did. Robin thought it was sweet. "Ooh! Fireworks are starting, come on!" He jumped up, pulling her with him and took her out of the lounge room and onto the Mosby's front porch. They sat on the porch swing and watched the fireworks explode in the clear black sky.

…

As lame as they claimed it to be, and as much as they made fun of it, after Robin and Barney went back inside, they too fell asleep on the couch. The entire gang awoke at two am to the sound of kids lighting fire crackers in the street.

"Happy 2017, guys." Robin snickered, teasingly.

"Did we fall asleep?" Ted asked, disoriented.

Barney smirked. "Yes. I get why Marshall and Lily did, with Maggie and everything, and Tracy because she's really pregnant, but you literally have no excuse."

"Penny keeps me awake." He groaned.

Barney made a noise of disapproval. "Penny's nineteen-months-old and sleeps through the night, Theodore. You can't use her as an excuse."

"Get out of my house." Ted said, annoyed. He wasn't serious, obviously.

"Actually, we should go." Marshall said. "You guys coming?"

"Yeah." Barney looked lovingly down at the woman with her head in his lap.

Marshall called two cabs, and everyone gathered their stuff and said goodnight. The Stinson's and Eriksen's went out to the front porch to wait for the taxis. Robin had her arms resting on the nape of Barney's neck and he had his arms anchored around her waist, her shoes in one on his hands. Robin's head was resting on his shoulder, and she was half asleep. It was Barney and Robin to hold each other like that in public, they did it all the time at home, but Robin looked like she was about to topple over, she was that tired, so he was holding her upright.

"You guys look natural. It's adorable." Lily said.

"We don't do adorable, Lily." Barney reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Marshall looked at the pair quizzing. "Hey, how come Robin's not drunk? She was knocking back champagne like there's no tomorrow."

"She's just tired." Barney replied, softly.

The cabs arrived and the two couples said goodnight. In the cab, Robin was sprawled across the backseat with her head in Barney's lap.

"We're gonna have to tell them eventually." He whispered.

"I know." She replied. "Just not yet."

"Okay." He replied. "Happy New Year, baby."

"Happy New Year." She replied, burying her face deeper in his shirt.

At that moment, Barney was filled with so much love for one woman, he didn't even know it was possible. She was honestly the love of his life and he was so glad she was the one he would spend eternity with, because he honestly couldn't think of a more perfect woman than Robin Scherbatsky-Stinson.

…

 **A/N**

 **Woah, that got cheesy towards the end. Stuff it, I love that. Also, I believe beneath the womanizing jerk façade, Barney is a sweet man whose mind works and thinks like that.**


	13. I Won't Let Go

**A/N**

 **So, this chapter covers some darker themes, but it isn't too bad. Trigger warning for very,** ** _very_** **mild violence. Also, a disclaimer: I don't think that domestic violence or abuse in any way is okay or anything to joke about. I make sure Barney expresses that. Also, once again, I'm sorry to Schmosby shippers but this is to demonstrate how they don't work again. Please R/R! :)**

 ** _I Won't Let Go_**

 _It hurts my heart to see you cry. I know it's dark, this part of life._

 **2033**

Barney groaned and threw himself on the couch. He was exhausted. Ellie was going through a phase, where she thought she knew better than Barney, therefore thought that going to bed past midnight on a school night was a smart idea. He had finally gotten her to go to sleep by confiscating her phone. Now he just wanted to sleep. Until next year, preferably. There was a knock at the door as he was getting off the couch to head into his bedroom. He groaned and went to answer it. The person standing on the other side was the last person he expected to see. Robin.

He was about to ask why she was at his house at 1:03 on a Thursday morning, but saw her tearstained face, and just drew her into a hug instead. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"No." She whispered. He pulled her away from him and held her by the shoulders, so they were looking eye-to-eye. That was when he noticed the bruise starting to form under her left eye, and the blood gashing from her nose.

"Oh my god, did…did Ted do that?" He asked, in shock. He wasn't sure Ted was capable of hitting anyone, much less his own wife.

"Ted? No, that wasn't Ted." She replied. Barney relaxed a little. "That was Luke."

Barney's mouth dropped open. He was now starting to get angry. "Luke hit you? Luke Mosby?"

Robin nodded. "It was my fault. Ted and I…we were fighting and I said something about Tracy and-"

She was cut off by him drawing her into another hug. "Robin, it wasn't your fault, okay? It doesn't matter what you do or say, nobody has a right to hurt you. Especially not your stepson." She started crying softly and he pulled her onto the couch. He grabbed a box of tissues from the coffee table and handed them to her to stop the bleeding. Then, he got up in search of ice for her to put on the bruise.

"I shouldn't have brought Tracy into it." She sobbed as he handed her the ice. He wrapped his arms around her. The hugging was just friendly. He was simply comforting her.

"Robin, please stop blaming yourself." Barney said. This was making him furious at Ted. He was the one who raised Luke, and apparently taught him it was okay for him to put his hands on a woman. It made him sick. Sure, back before he married Robin, Barney had done some pretty bad things to women, but he had never _ever_ put his hands on one. He knew that was wrong. "Can you please tell me everything that happened? From the beginning?"

She took a deep breath. "Okay."

 ** _An hour ago_**

Ted and Robin's fight was getting more intense by the minute. Robin had lost track of what they were fighting about. All she knew was she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed. This was reminding her too much of how her first marriage ended. She missed Barney and regretted throwing their relationship away. Now that she's been with Ted for three years, she realizes what she had with Barney. She'd never have that with anyone else. Maybe having a baby with Barney wouldn't have been such a terrible idea after all.

"You make me furious, Robin!" Ted yelled. "ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS!" She'd never been screamed at like this before. She and Barney used to fight, but it was never like this. He hadn't ever yelled at her like this. He wouldn't have. She shook her head. She has to stop comparing her two marriages.

"Stop yelling at me, Ted. I'm your wife. That's not how husbands are supposed to behave towards their wife." She replied.

"Right, because you have something to compare me to." Ted snarled.

"I do actually. Barney never yelled at me like that."

"BARNEY, BARNEY, BARNEY! SHUT UP ABOUT FREAKING BARNEY!" Ted screamed. "You know what else Barney did? He slept with countless woman. Like three hundred. You were just one of them that he happened to like. How do you know he didn't sleep around when you were married, huh?"

Tears were flowing down her face. She wasn't just another number to Barney. She knew that. And he hadn't cheated on her. He wouldn't have. "He didn't." She mumbled.

"God! Tracy was never this impossible!" Ted yelled.

"You can't tell me not to talk about Barney and then go and talk about Tracy!" Robin noticed Penny and Luke hovering in the doorway.

"That's completely different! I lost Tracy!" Ted replied.

"Oh my god, shut up. I'm sick of hearing it. I'm sick of the boo hoo attitude you have whenever someone brings up Tracy. I got three years with Barney. Three years, Ted. Just because we got divorced, and Tracy died doesn't mean I don't miss him as much as you miss Tracy." She replied.

"She was stolen from me. You dumped Barney." Ted spat.

"You're living in the past! You're married to me, not Tracy. She's dead. Move on." Robin spat in reply. Maybe she got a little too insensitive there, but it shut Ted up. His expression was blank. Luke's wasn't. He was pacing over to them.

"Don't talk about mom like that." He growled. His fist was clenched and approaching her pretty fast. It slammed into the side of her face, on her cheekbone, hitting her eye and nose. She's never been punched before, so didn't know what it was supposed to feel like. That hurt pretty bad though. She could feel blood leaking out of her nose and her eye throbbing. Luke mumbled something she didn't hear, then stalked off to his room. Ted's mouth was dropped open, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned towards the kitchen and walked off. Penny had her hand to her mouth. She dropped it and Robin could see her bottom lip trembling. There was empathy in the eighteen-year-old's eyes. She shrugged helplessly and also walked away. Robin ran to the door, grabbing her bag and coat on the way out and went the first place she could think of.

 **Back to the present**

Barney hugged her tighter as she finished telling her story. He was disgusted. The fact that Ted didn't say anything to Luke, or do anything to make sure Robin was okay was sickening. He also wondered why she hadn't fought back. She was known for standing up for herself. Probably because she hadn't want to hit her sixteen-year-old stepson. That was understandable.

"I'm sorry." Barney whispered.

She weakly smiled. "Thanks."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Robin responded.

"Robin, please be honest. You're talking to me. We know things about each other that nobody else does." It was true. During their marriage, when they were lying in bed in the dark, the two had a tendency to spill secrets that nobody else knew. He was more honest with Robin than he's ever been to anybody. He stayed true to his vows.

"I'm okay. I just…don't really want to go home. I think I'm better off alone. The three of them are supposed to be my family, but they made it blaringly clear that they don't give a crap about me." She replied.

"Don't go home tonight. You can stay here. I have a guest room. Let the jerk you married suffer a little."

"Thank you." She said, hugging him.

"Anytime." He replied. He reached over and lifted her hand to check her injuries. The blood was clearing away, but the bruise under her eye would be nasty. Good, maybe it would show Ted and Luke what they'd done. He pulled her off the couch and was about to show her to the guest room, when she headed there alone. Right, she'd lived here for over three years. It only occurred to him once she shut the door that he'd still do anything for her.

Barney had to physically restrain himself from going to the Mosby's house. Instead, he climbed into bed and turned off the light. As he was drifting off to sleep, he felt sick again, just thinking about what had happened tonight. Ted really was a jerk.

…

 **A/N**

 **Is this chapter too dark? I'm not sure. Please leave a review to tell me what you think!**


	14. Happier

**A/N**

 **Okay, I'm gonna be honest, I'm really excited to write the next chapter, like probably too excited. So, I kinda just wanted to get this one out there. It's adorable, nevertheless. Originally, I was just gonna do the first bit, but I had to add the flash forward. It may or may not have been inspired by feels I got when editing** ** _Happily Ever After_** **. R/R! :)**

 _ **Happier**_

 _I guess you look happier, you do._

 **2013**

Barney and Robin had been back from their honeymoon for two days, and were loving every second of marriage. Despite the pre-wedding freak outs, they were thrilled to be husband and wife. They both had so much love for each other, it was crazy. Robin never, ever dreamt of being married, but Barney was different. He was such a jerk to everyone else outside his friends and family, but that was easy to forget when he was being the kind, sensitive man he was, especially towards her. Now, as they sat on the couches at their apartment, surrounded by their best friends, she realized how lucky she was. Ted on the other hand, was just coming to terms with the fact that the first true love of his life was happy with someone else. And he was okay with that.

"I can't believe we're moving to Rome tomorrow." Marshall commented.

"It's only a year, you guys will be back before you know it." Ted responded. He held Marvin up above his head and tickled the two-year-old's toes. "This little guy's gonna be so big."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Marshall replied. He looked over to Barney and Robin. "Okay, can you two stop making out for one second, we're trying to have a serious conversation."

"Shh, we're busy." Barney hushed him, and returned his attention back to Robin.

Lily rolled her eyes. "So, Ted. When are we gonna meet Tracy?" At this, the newlyweds separated. They both liked Ted's new girl. She had helped both of them get to where they were today. If she hadn't told Barney to get the girl, he would still be chasing bimbos. And if Robin hadn't landed on her, god knows where she'd be now.

"I thought you guys had all already met her." Ted asked, confused.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, but we want to see you guys together."

Ted shrugged. "I don't want to move to fast with her. She's the one. The last time I had this feeling, I told the girl I loved her on the first date. Not making that mistake again."

"When has a girl you've met not been the one?" Barney asked, causing Robin to snicker.

"Whatever." Ted said, rolling his eyes. He stood up to go to the bathroom and dumped Marvin into Barney's lap.

"Hey Marv." Barney said, grinning as he tickled his nephew's toes. The child giggled.

"I can see you as a dad, Barney." Lily stated.

"Don't get your hopes up, Lil." He replied, laughing.

 **August 2017**

"BARNEY, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE!" Robin screamed.

He rested his other hand on her shoulder gently. "Hey, it's okay. You're doing good. It'll be over soon. You can do this. I believe in you." Barney encouraged, squeezing her hand. He felt her muscles relax a little under his touch, and felt a little better for doing this to her.

…

It wasn't much longer before the piercing cries of a baby filled the room.

"It's a girl!" Somebody yelled out. Barney looked down at Robin, delighted. They hadn't found out the gender, but he was secretly hoping for a girl. The look on her face told him she had been too.

"I'm so proud of you." Barney whispered as they watched the nurses weigh and clean their daughter.

…

Barney and Robin were cooing over the little baby girl in her arms. She was only half an hour old, but they already loved her so damn much already.

Robin turned to Barney. "Can you please call Lily? She's probably dying with anticipation."

"Sure." He replied, pulling his phone out of his pocket and clicking two on his speed dial. She was awake and didn't even let it ring before picking up.

"Hey, how's it going? What's going on?" She asked.

"Everything's great, Lil." Barney replied. "We're parents now." He added casually.

Robin allowed her friend the appropriate amount of time to squeal and get excited. "She's a girl, Lily!"

"Oh my god! It's a girl! Marshall! Wake up! Barney and Robin have a daughter!" Lily squealed.

"Never thought I'd see the day." He yawned. "Congrats, guys."

"Get on FaceTime right now! I need to see my niece!" Lily yelled. Barney quickly switched the call over and the redhead's excited face and her husband's sleepy one came into view on the phone. He switched camera over so that they could see Robin and the baby. Robin grinned and waved. Barney zoomed the phone in so Lily and Marshall could only see the face of his adorable baby girl.

"This is Scarlett Grace." He announced, voice melting.

"Aww!" Lily squealed.

 **Back to the present – 2013**

"Yeah Lil, seriously, don't get too excited." Robin laughed. Lily knew better, though.


	15. Black & Blue

**A/N**

 **Okay, so this is a teaser into what's going to go down in the next few canon world chapters! I'm excited…there's no doubt in my mind, I'm totally sadistic :)**

 ** _Black & Blue_**

 _"This isn't gonna work," you said with makeup running down your face. I can see you're hurt._

 **2034**

Robin sat on the kitchen counter, looking at the yellow envelope beside her. She knew she was making the right decision, but she still felt bad. This was going to break Ted's heart. But staying with him was killing her. She needed room to breathe, with was something he wasn't fond of giving her. They spent their days arguing and yelling. It was way worse than things had been with Barney. As she sat there, fingering the ring in her hand, she couldn't help but realise how quickly she and Barney had given up. She didn't have a lot of time to think, because Ted wandered into the kitchen.

"What's up?" He asked, upon seeing her tearstained face. She pawed helplessly at the mascara streaking her face.

"Ted, I'm really sorry." Robin whispered. She cleared her throat. "Here." She placed her engagement and wedding rings into the palm of his hand.

"What?" He asked, glancing helplessly at them. She handed him the envelope.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, getting off the counter. He opened the envelope and looked at the sheets inside.

Ted looked up at Robin with wounded eyes. "Divorce papers?" His voice was barely above a whisper. He shook his head. "Why, Robin?"

"Are you kidding me? Have you not been paying attention for the last three years of our marriage? We don't work, Ted! All we do is argue and insult each other and get upset! I'm not happy at all, and it's not fair to me, or to you and your kids, that we stay in a relationship that neither of us are happy in. I'm sorry."

Ted closed his eyes and put a hand on the back of his neck. It was silent for a few minutes, before he cleared his throat. "When you and Barney got divorced, I blamed him. I thought he was being emotionally distant. But now, I see it's you. You're the problem. You're a sucky wife. Both of your marriages barely lasted three years."

That hurt. That comment cut her so deep. She tried to hide it, but the tears stinging the back of her eyes dropped down her face. He had no idea. She and Barney wanted different things, and the divorce was mutual. He was right though, she couldn't be a wife. She knew she sucked at it, but him pointing it out hurt a lot.

"I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it's true." Ted added.

She shook her head. "Bye Ted."

"Robin-" He started. She ignored him, and left the kitchen. She grabbed her handbag and the duffle bag of essential possessions she needed and left.

…

"Aunt Robin!" Ellie cried, opening the door.

"Hey Elle." Robin replied, trying not to sound like she'd been crying. She was glad the fourteen-year-old didn't notice her tears. She pulled her niece into a hug. Barney looked at her questioningly from behind his daughter. Robin lifted her bare left hand up, as if proof she'd gone through with asking Ted for a divorce.

Barney's eyes widened. "Hey Ellie, can you let me and Aunt Robin talk in private for a minute.

Ellie shrugged. "Sure." She grabbed her phone from the counter and disappeared down the hallway, into her room. Barney put his arms around Robin and she crumpled. She sobbed into his arms and he gently and reassuringly let his hand rub her back.

"You did the right thing. You weren't happy with him."

"I know." She whispered. "Doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Yeah. I get it, Robin. Trust me."

…

Ted sat on the couch, staring at the rings in his hand. Silent tears were still flowing down his face. Lily and Marshall sat on the couch opposite him, watching. Both were sneaking looks at each other, neither sure what exactly to say to comfort their friend. Honestly, they were both still in shock. They didn't know Robin and Ted were having problems, so when he called in tears, saying she asked him for a divorce, they were utterly stunned.

"I'm not signing the divorce papers." He announced.

Marshall shook his head. "You can't do that buddy. You have to respect her wishes."

"I swear to god, if she gets back together with Barney, I'll-"

Lily cut him off. "You'll be a perfect gentleman and respect their relationship. This isn't Barney's fault, or Robin's for that matter. I know this isn't out of the blue, Robin wouldn't just do that. So, what happened?"

"I don't really know. We've been fighting for months. I guess that's what happens when you marry Robin Scherbatsky." Ted practically spat.

"Don't pin it on her." Lily was quick to jump to her best friend's defence.

Marshall, on the other hand, was quiet again. He knew there was something Ted wasn't telling them and he was determined to find out what it was.

…

 **A/N**

 **This is a little short, sorry. Hope you liked it, and please review!**


	16. Your Man

**A/N**

 **I heard this song and instantly thought it would be great inspiration for this story. Hope you enjoy! PS - I know that in the timeline of the show, Barney should've had Greg arrested a few weeks after the wedding, but for the sake of this chapter, just pretend that didn't happen. Thanks!**

 ** _Your Man_**

 _I can't believe how much it turns me on, just to be your man._

 **2014**

Barney leant on the table, sipping on his coffee listening to what his boss was telling him. Greg was very strict about what he could and couldn't say on air, probably because of everything Barney knows about GNB. He wasn't dumb enough to say anything about this company though. He nodded, and let his mind drift while Greg blabbered on.

This was a last minute thing. He wasn't supposed to be the man being interviewed about GNB's newest feel good product, which was mainly to distract people from what the majority of the company did, but Bilson had called in sick.

As Barney's mind continued to wander, the reporter and crew walked in, all chatting. They had brought their own coffee from a café a couple of blocks away. The crew quickly got to work, setting everything up for the broadcast, while the reporter began skimming through her questions. Barney watched her and grinned. She was gorgeous, with eyes somewhere between the colour of green and blue, brown curls and, well, a blue and white dress he had zipped up for her that morning.

Barney quickly excused himself from Greg's babbling, and approached her. He stuck a hand out. "Hey, I guess you're interviewing me. Barney Stinson, nice to meet you."

Robin looked up from her paper, and burst into laughter. "Hey babe." He raised an eyebrow and nodded towards his outstretched hand. She grinned and offered him hers. "I'm Robin."

With a final grin, Barney dropped their act and slung an arm around her. "So, how dumb are these idiots to not realise we share a last name?"

"Pretty stupid. Although, they probably didn't even consider that. It doesn't really matter, just stay professional, and remember this is all live." Robin replied. "That means do _not_ flirt with me on camera or act seductive, okay?"

"Okay." Barney said with a wink.

"Barney, I'm serious."

"Me too." He winked.

She rolled her eyes and hoped he had enough common sense to not put his or her own job in jeopardy.

…

"And is this going to halt any, let's say, _questionable_ faculties Goliath National Bank runs?" Robin asked. They were about halfway through the interview, and so far, Barney had behaved himself. That could change quickly, though. Instead of answering the question, her husband stared at her. "Mr Stinson?" Robin asked, begging him to stop with her eyes and telepathically. She almost laughed at calling Barney by such a formal name.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Miss Sabatski?" Barney asked, flashing a grin at her as he intentionally got her name wrong.

She sighed. "Is this new production going to halt-" She was quickly cut off by Barney.

"Sorry, Robin. I can't wait anymore." He leapt forward, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips to hers. Watching her being so professional was making him so proud. He couldn't believe what she had achieved already, at such a young age. Watching her talk to a nationwide audience was incredible.

 **"** Woah! Back off!" Someone yelled immediately. As soon as Barney touched her, people dropped their equipment and shouted things at him, quickly rushing to Robin's aid.

"It's okay, it's okay. Thanks guys, but it's fine." Robin stated, pushing Barney off her. "He's my husband."

Barney smiled and winked at the camera. "Yeah, I managed to score this hottie. I guess it's because-"

"Opposites attract?" Robin teased.

Barney gasped. "Robin Charles Scherbatsky-Stinson! I am offended!" Take that back right this instant!"

"Or?" Robin asked with a grin. Barney was about to answer when he was interrupted.

"Robin, can we go to break? This is live and I don't think that this is the content we're supposed to be streaming." Someone whispered.

Robin's eyes widened. "Crap! I forgot it was live! Umm…we're going to go to break now and then it's back to the studio for Brandy with the weather."

"And we're clear!" Someone announced.

Barney was laughing so hard that he was crying. Robin scowled and shoved him backwards, but even she couldn't keep the laughter from spilling out.

"So, babe…wanna do it in my office?"

"You're so romantic and subtle, baby."

"Is that a no?"

"Course not. Meet you there in five minutes."

Barney grinned. He really did marry the perfect girl.


	17. Never In Love

**A/N**

 **I was really unsure about publishing this, it's pretty OOC for Ted, but there's a reason. Hope you like it! :)**

 ** _Never in Love_**

 _Just in love with the thought of me, not in love like you ought to be._

 **2034**

Marshall was sat on the couch, reading through the documents Robin had gotten drawn up. He was stunned at what she was asking for. Nothing. Literally _nothing_. She didn't want money, the house or even any of her belongings. Although, this was _Robin_. She wouldn't want anything. She wouldn't want the others thinking she was incapable. Then again, he knew she asked for stuff when she and Barney got divorced. Why didn't she want anything from Ted? They shared a bank account, and the majority of the money in there was Robin's. He knew she made _craptons_ of money. Barney had told him the exact amount once, when he was drunk, and it was almost double what Marshall had been making at Honeywell and Cootes.

As he started to reread the divorce papers, Lily entered the room. "Ted went to bed. He asked us to leave."

Marshall nodded and slipped the papers back into the envelope. "Okay."

"I think we should look for Robin. See if she's okay. Maybe we can find out more about what happened."

"Do you know where she could be?"

Lily thought for a second. She had a hunch, and was almost sure she was right. There was always one person who could comfort Robin, no matter how upset she was. The one person she trusted with everything. "I think so." She replied, lost in her thoughts.

…

That's how, forty minutes later, Marshall and Lily found themselves on Barney's apartment doormat. Marshall knocked, and they heard mumbling from inside. There was definitely a male and female voice, but it didn't sound like Ellie. It certainly sounded like Robin. The two picked up on little parts of their hurried conversation.

"Who could that be?" Barney asked.

"Ellie? Is she back already?"

"No, she's staying at Leila's overnight." He paused. "Who is it?" That last sentence was a yell, loud enough for them to hear.

Lily knocked again. "Open up. It's Marshall and Lily."

There was a slight hesitation, but finally the door opened to reveal Barney standing on the other side. Robin was sitting on the couch. Thankfully, both their clothes were still intact. "I assume Ted told you?" They both nodded. "Before you blame her, just realize, you don't know anything that went on between them, okay?" Barney whispered, as he stepped aside and let the two in.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Lily asked, hugging Robin as soon as she, Marshall and Barney joined her on the couch.

"Why divorce? It seemed so sudden. We didn't even realize you two were having problems." Marshall added.

"It wasn't at all sudden." Barney chimed in. Marshall and Lily looked confused. What did Barney know?

Robin sighed, trying to think of a way to explain this to them. "Guys, you've got to understand, Ted's sick. He's completely scarred and traumatised from Tracy, but refuses to see a therapist. He's not that same man we were friends with all those years ago. He doesn't care anymore. He didn't care about me at all. He didn't love me. He's afraid of letting me in, because of Tracy. It's easier for him to barricade himself. He doesn't even notice he was doing it, but he built a barrier around his heart, and it wasn't good for us. Neither of us were happy."

"What?" Lily asked.

Marshall looked just as confused. "What do you mean he didn't care about you? Of course he did! This is Ted Mosby!"

"That's what I'm trying to explain. He isn't Ted Mosby anymore. He's this distant, demanding man. He doesn't love me, and he doesn't care about me. I'm not saying it was his fault, all that crap with Tracy's health was horrible. But I can't continue a relationship like that. He wouldn't even consider seeing a therapist."

"But what makes you think he didn't care about you?" Marshall questioned, still unsure of what was going on.

Barney and Robin shared a look quickly. "I kind of knew for a while, but the capper was about four months ago."

 **January 2034**

Barney burst through the doors, running up to reception and slamming his hands onto the desk. He attempted to steady his breathing, but couldn't get it back to normal. He was repetitively telling himself that she was fine, she was the one who called him, but couldn't stop worrying.

"Hey, I'm looking for Robin Sch-" He paused, unsure of what her last name was now. Had she changed it when she got married? "Robin Mosby."

"Sorry, we don't have anyone listed under that name." The nurse informed him.

"Robin Scherbatsky?" He questioned.

She skimmed the computer screen. "Nope."

"Stinson? Robin Stinson?"

"Room 304."

Barney smiled. "Thanks." It wasn't until he was running towards her room, that he noticed what he'd said. Her last name was still Stinson? Why hadn't she changed it back to Scherbatsky? Or to Mosby when she married Ted? He neared the door to room 304 and swung it open.

"Hey." Robin said. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Thanks for coming."

"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked, nearing the bed and hugging her.

She sighed. "I'm fine. They wouldn't let me go until someone signed the discharge papers. Can you please just sign them?" She started to stand up, but he pushed her back onto the bed.

"Nuh uh. We are not leaving until you answer my questions, and I talk to your doctor. Now, what happened? And where the hell is Ted?" Why wasn't her husband here? Barney got it, Ted had spent a lot of time in hospitals when Tracy was sick, but Robin needed him here.

Robin wasn't sure how to answer. Honestly, she didn't know herself. The priorities of the men in her life were so messed up. Her husband had gone home immediately after dropping her off at the hospital, because he was tired, but her ex-husband dropped everything and left his fourteen-year-old daughter home alone to come and see if she was okay, and take her home. "Ted said he'd come tomorrow morning. He's apparently busy with Penny and Luke right now."

"Penny and Luke are nineteen and seventeen! They don't need him. You need him. He needs to be _here_."

Robin shrugged. "Can we please just go?"

"First tell me what happened."

She sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get her way. "It was dumb. I just slipped in the kitchen yesterday morning and hit my head on the ground. There was water of the floor from the dishes. They just kept me here overnight for observation."

Barney was furious, but hid it well. Why the hell was Ted not here? He was about to keep pressing for answers, but looked at Robin yawning and gave in. She looked exhausted and probably just wanted to go home. He pulled her bag off the floor and nodded. "Come on, I'll drop you home."

On the drive back to the Mosby residence, Robin wondered what Barney would do if he realized Ted hadn't responded to her yelling out for him for five minutes. What he would do if he realized Ted had literally dropped her off at the front of the hospital like a dad dropping his teenage daughter off at the cinema. He just didn't care anymore. Plain and simple. Ted Mosby stopped caring.

 **Back to the present**

Both Marshall and Lily stared at their friends, wide eyed and gaping as they finished the story. To say they were shocked was a huge understatement. Robin was right, Ted wasn't Ted anymore. The Ted they knew, was thoughtful and amazing. He wouldn't have slept all night, he would've stayed at the hospital, watching Robin sleep until she got pissed. He would've been drilling the doctors about what was wrong. He would've been overly annoying and clingy and irritated her.

They didn't even know who their best friend was anymore.

…

 **A/N**

 **Wow, that was depressing. Hope you liked it anyways! Please leave a review!**


	18. Say Love

**A/N**

 **Things have been CRAZY for me these last couple of weeks, but things are settling down now. I've said this before, but I'm so sorry about the lack of updating, but I should be back on track soon. Also, I'm working on a new story! Can't wait to publish! Enjoy this chapter!**

 **Also: this continues directly from the flashback in chapter four :)**

 ** _Say Love_**

I'm not gonna run away, I'm not the type to leave you, on your own.

 **2016**

Barney was struggling to catch his breath. Pregnant? No. No way. No way, no way. Impossible. Why would anyone even say that? Nope. No. No. No. No. Robin couldn't even get pregnant. She was infertile. That's why they were so careless with birth control.

"Mr Stinson?" The doctor asked.

Barney looked up. "No way. It's not even possible. There's no way Robin's pregnant."

"She is, trust me. I've run multiple tests, and I'm a hundred percent certain."

"But…" Barney tried desperately. "She…she can't! She can't even get pregnant! She's infertile!"

The doctor shook his head. "Look, I don't know who told you that, or why, but she is most certainly not infertile. Your wife is pregnant." He bit his lip and looked around. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here and tell you again and again that you're going to be a father. I have patients to take care of. Including Robin. But you need to know, she is pregnant." 

Barney nodded unsurely. Another thought crossed his mind. "Please don't tell her. I'll tell her tomorrow, but she'll panic and freak out here."

The doctor nodded, then walked away. James sunk into the chair beside his brother and put a hand on his back. Barney tried to steady his breathing. He was excited, really, but he was also petrified. Right now though, he couldn't stop thinking about Robin. He didn't even know how she would react. This might not be so great for their relationship, after all, they'd been on the verge of going through with a divorce _five_ weeks ago. He prayed this wouldn't end their marriage for good. "This is great, Barney." James reassured.

"No, no it's not. Robin's going to freak."

James raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about her, what do you want?"

"Don't worry about her? DON'T WORRY ABOUT HER? James, she's never wanted this."

"What about you, what do _you_ want?" James asked.

"This isn't about me. This is about Robin. It's completely up to her. I'll go with whatever makes her happy. After all, she's the one who'd have to carry the child for nine months, birth it, nurse it...I can't do that to her."

James shrugged. "Have you considered the possibility that she might want the baby? That could happen." He paused. "I guess my opinion doesn't count, but I really think you should keep it. You and Robin would be such good parents. That kid would be so damn lucky."

Barney nodded. He had some thinking to do.

…

"Oh, oh my god, I'm so sorry." Robin whispered weakly as she jerked away from her husband.

"Hey, it's okay." Barney replied tenderly. He reached over to fix a strand of her hair and get it out of her face. He understood why she was apologetic. Five years ago, he probably would've yelled and threw a temper tantrum if she had puked on him. Now though, he really didn't give a crap. He was more concerned for his wife's health than for the damn suit.

"It's probably just nausea from whatever meds they've pumped into me." She mumbled. "Barn, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to puke all over you." She sounded and looked so sick. All he wanted to do was pull her back towards him and hold her until she felt better, then a little longer after that, but he _was_ covered in vomit.

"Baby, I don't care." He replied. "The suit can be washed. Or replaced. I didn't really like it that much anyways."

"Am I seriously talking to Barney Stinson? The man who once gave CPR to a red tie that he spilt ketchup on? The man that ran through the city with a suit in his arms when he tore it? What happened?" Robin laughed, but it wasn't heartily. She still sounded so sick and weak.

"I know you're joking, but you need to know that you are ten times more important to me than a piece of clothing, okay?" Barney replied earnestly. Robin nodded. "Good." He stood up and paced into the kitchen, then opened the medicine cabinet. "Okay, do you want something to help with the nausea? Pain meds of some kind? What other symptoms do you have?"

"Just the nausea." She replied.

Barney nodded and began sorting through the many packets of medication they had. He checked the labels on all of them, looking for one that said it was suitable to be taken by pregnant women.

Robin looked up at the packet he had in his hands. "That'll do, Barn."

He shook his head. She stood up and walked over to the kitchen, leaning against the countertop. She picked up the first packet of pills and skimmed what it was used for before shrugging and popping two out of the bottle and into her hands.

"No, you can't take that!" Barney yelled, practically diving across the counter to take the pills from her.

"Why not?" Robin asked curiously, turning the packet over in her hands and reading the information.

Barney watched anxiously as she read the fine print. He noticed her eyes locking on to one sentence. _Not safe for consumption if pregnant_. Barney watched her face and could see the cogs in her mind turning as she put two and two together.

"No, no, no. Barney no. Please no. I can't…that can't…no…" She was hyperventilating and only standing with the aid of the counter. Her knees were bucking and she was trembling. Barney scrambled over the counter and took hold of her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He whispered reassuringly into her ear and ran his fingers through her hair, hoping to calm her down.

"Baby. Listen to me. Shh, breathe. Just breathe." He whispered. "It's all going to be just fine."

…

The subject wasn't addressed again until later that night. Robin was in bed already by the time Barney got out of the shower. He got changed and quietly slipped into bed beside her. As he was turning out the lamp, she rolled over.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, sounding so powerless. That wasn't an adjective many people would use to describe Robin Stinson-Scherbatsky. Independent, strong, power _ful_ , but not powerless. She was vulnerable. This was a side of her only Barney ever saw.

He spun around to face her so she knew she had his undivided attention. "Babe, it's completely up to you. I support and understand whatever decision you make. Just know though, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you, and for this kid if that's what you want."

"Is it crazy that I kind of want to keep it?"

"Not even a little bit. That's completely sane."

"But I freaked out before…mostly because I was scared. Not of having a baby, but for the baby. Having us as parents? Come on, the kid would be doomed."

Barney shook his head. "Don't say that. Our kid wouldn't be doomed. She or he would be the most awesome kid on the planet. And we're fully capable of taking care of babies. We've done it before." Robin nodded unsurely. "We'd be amazing parents, babe."

And they were.

…

 **A/N**

 **I had two choices for this chapter and I'm glad I went with this one. It kind of changes up the whole perfect, unproblematic storyline of the AU universe. Hope you liked it! Please review :)**


	19. Your Heart Is Safe With Me

**A/N**

 **This chapter has been a long work in progress, but is by far my favourite in the divorce universe. It's much happier compared to the other ones. Also, I adore the Ellie/Robin relationship. Ellie deserves a mom, and I love that Robin is kinda that figure to her. Please R/R, and enjoy! :)**

 ** _Your Heart Is Safe With Me_**

 _I won't let no tears get near, no baby, I'll be here. And your heart is safe with me._

 **2034**

Robin laughed as she tried to complete the second braid on her niece's head. Ellie wasn't great at sitting still, much like her father. She was wriggly and giggled a lot, telling jokes and commentary that made Robin laugh so hard she messed up the braid and had to start over. This had happened multiple times already, and both girls were trying hard to be silent, but it was just making them laugh harder. Ellie had definitely inherited her father's humour. Not the dirty jokes, but she had the ability to make Robin guffaw with very little effort.

"Elle, you gotta hold still." Robin advised.

"Sorry." Ellie giggled.

As Robin managed to finally complete the second braid, she couldn't help noticing how homely this situation felt. It was alien to her, yet felt like she'd been doing it her whole life. Her relationship with Ellie was fantastic, and she felt like a daughter. She'd never had this good of a relationship with Penny. Maybe it was because Ellie was younger, or because she had never had a mother figure before, but the fourteen-year-old was more willing to let Robin in then Penny ever had.

"Hey Aunt Robin?" Ellie asked, as Robin put a band in the blonde braid.

Robin smiled and shifted on the couch, allowing room for the girl to climb on beside her. She'd been sitting on the floor in front of the couch while Robin worked on her hair. "Yeah Elle?"

"Are you and dad dating?" She asked with such ease and zero hesitation.

Robin shook her head and laughed. "Nope, we're not. Why do you think we are?"

Ellie's face fell slightly. Robin guessed she had been looking forward to potentially getting a stepmother in the near future. She hated to disappoint, but she and Barney hadn't even discussed the possibility of a relationship. Ted and her break up was fresh, the two only being separated for six weeks so far. She had had more fun with Ellie and Barney in those six weeks then she'd had in her entire four year relationship with Ted. "You live here with us, and stuff…"

"I live here because of Uncle Ted and our breakup, honey. I don't have my own apartment yet. You know that."

"And Dad doesn't want you buying an apartment, because he's scared that if you're on your own, Uncle Ted might come over and hurt you because he's mad at you for demanding a divorce." Ellie added.

Robin laughed. "Not quite, Ellie. You and I both know Uncle Ted would never do that."

"But Dad still wants you here because he wants to protect you. Aww, that's actually the cutest thing ever!"

Robin snickered. "You're such a hopeless romantic. Where the heck did you get that from?" Ellie was right, though. Barney was trying to protect her from the Mosby boys. She thought back to a few weeks ago, when she and Barney went to get her stuff.

 ** _Four weeks ago_**

Robin looked over at Barney. He was stubborn and she knew she wasn't going to get her way. She had moved out from Ted's and into Barney's after asking Ted for the divorce. That was two weeks ago. She had left a few belongings at his house, and she wanted to go pick them up. Barney wanted to come with her.

"I'll be fine, Barney! I'll be gone for half an hour, tops."

"Okay, but I'm coming."

She sighed. "I'm perfectly capable of doing it on my own."

"Robin, you're fifty-four years old-"

Ellie looked up from where she was packing her bag in the kitchen while eavesdropping on the conversation. "You're fifty-four!" She exclaimed. "You look like, thirty-nine!"

Robin smiled. "Thanks, Elle."

"Ellie, you're going to be late. Leave, or you'll miss the bus." Barney's dad side took over.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Okay! Okay! I'm going. Bye dad. Bye Aunt Robin."

The two waited for the front door to close before continuing. "-you're fifty-four years old. You're not nearly as strong as you used to be. Luke, he's a sixteen-year-old boy. And before you say he won't do anything, we both know he's capable of hitting you."

"May I speak?" Robin asked. He had kept talking every time she opened her mouth. Barney nodded. "Okay. Say hypothetically, Luke did try to hit me, what would you being there do?"

Barney grinned and pulled a sleeve up, flexing his left arm. "I'm a lot stronger than I used to be. My daughter's a teenage girl, I need to be able to fight off boys. But, I can always use it for disciplining sixteen year old boys."

Robin rolled her eyes, but Barney knew she was trying not to smile. "Okay, okay. You can come."

…

They arrived at the Mosby's house, and Robin walked nervously up to the front door, Barney right behind her. She knocked on the door.

Ted answered. He looked shocked, then angry to see her. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, furiously.

"I want my stuff." She tried to step past him, but he blocked her.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? This isn't your house anymore. You wrote in the divorce specifically, that any assets in the house are mine."

She rolled her eyes, and tried to step past her. "I just want some clothes."

Ted blocked her again. "No."

"Jesus, Ted. Let her get her stuff." Barney interfered.

Ted looked over at Barney. "Why is he here? Did you feel the need to bring a bodyguard? God, Robin, he doesn't need to protect you from me."

"Oh yeah, because neither you or your son has ever hurt her." Barney snapped. He looked meaningfully at Ted. The day after Robin had shown up crying on his doorstep after Luke had hit her, Barney had come to the Mosby's place after dropping Ellie at school. He found Luke, and threatened him, saying if he ever touched her again, he was dead. Ted had caught him, and had obviously been furious.

"Shut the hell up Barney." Ted replied.

"You shut up. Let her in to get her stuff."

Ted sighed. "Fine. Robin, you have five minutes. I'm checking everything before you leave. And Barney's waiting in the car."

He let Robin in, and Barney pushed him out of the way so he could come in. "I'm not leaving her in the house alone with you. You're really a sick man, Mosby."

Robin ran up to the bedroom she used to share with Ted, Barney following her. He closed the door behind him, and sat on the bed. "It's horrible that that's the man he is now. The man we knew never would've done that."

"I know." Robin sighed. She was on her hands and knees, stuffing her possessions into one of her tote bags. She got clothes, shoes, accessories and a few picture frames. Barney picked out one of the things she pulled out. A photo album. The front was custom made, with a drawing printed on it of a man in a suit and a woman in a dress that was nearly identical to the one Robin wore to their wedding. The woman was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand, the other one wrapped around her groom's neck as he had his arms around her waist, and his forehead to hers. There was something printed below it in cursive, but it was in a handwriting that was incoherent to Barney.

He smiled, and tried not to laugh. "Hey, Robin. What's this?" He thumbed through it, seeing pictures from their wedding weekend. Along with that, there were dried flowers and labels from scotch bottles.

"Lily gave us that as a late wedding gift. I just never showed you, because it's lame." She went back to sorting through the wardrobe.

Barney pulled it onto his lap and looked at the photos. There must have been at least fifty pages. Lily must have been secretly taking them that whole weekend. The first picture had been taken the day they got to the Farhampton Inn. He and Robin had gone out to the balcony for a pre-dinner drink, and were drinking scotch, while standing at the balcony, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder. There were other ones taken in their room while they were both asleep, her snuggled in his arms. Lily's a creep. Barney wondered how she managed to get into their room and take pictures while they were sleeping. He turned to later pages, and saw pictures of the wedding ceremony, and some of them slow dancing at their reception. He smiled. It wasn't lame, and he knew she didn't think it was either. He could tell she'd looked through it a few times.

 **Back to the present – four weeks later**

"Hello? Are you listening?" Ellie asked.

Robin looked up. "Sorry, what?"

"Would it even be such a big deal if you and dad got back together?"

" _Back_ together?" Robin questioned, confused. Barney had never told her that they dated, let alone were married. She knew for a fact that he kept that Robin was his ex-wife a secret from his daughter.

"You were married, duh." Ellie replied, laughing. "You're not that old! You should remember your marriage!"

Robin looked at her niece, still confused. "How…how did you know your dad and I used to be married?"

Ellie shrugged. "Dad tried to hide it from me, but Marvin told me. Plus, there's a photo album at Aunt Lily and Uncle Marshall's with pictures of you guys from your wedding weekend. It's not really a secret. Aunt Lily has showed it to me a few times. You looked really pretty on your wedding day." Lily must have a copy of the photo album she gave to Robin and Barney.

"Thanks." Robin smiled, unsure of what else to say.

"I don't know why you got divorced though. Or any of the story." She looked up at her aunt with pleading blue eyes. "Please tell me."

Robin shook her head. "Sorry, Ellie. Your dad obviously doesn't want you to know, and I should respect his wishes. Besides, you wouldn't understand, honey. You're only fourteen."

"So? I'm not a baby. I'm fourteen. I think that's old enough to understand. Plus, I already know how much dad slept around. I know I was the product of a one night stand with a girl he can't remember the name of. Also, I watch a lot of rom-coms and read Nicholas Sparks, so don't ' _you're too young to understand'_ me."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you." Robin said. The teenager had a point. "In 2005, your Uncle Ted locked eyes with me across the crowded bar. Your father introduced us and Ted and I danced around our feelings for a few years. Then, your dad and I slept together. He started slowly developing feelings for me, and realized he loved me after he was hit by a bus. A year later, he confessed to Ted, which I overheard. I realised my feelings for him, and after some help from Aunt Lily, we got together. We dated for six months but broke up because we weren't right for each other. Our feelings for each other didn't go away though. A few years later, your dad met another girl named Nora, who he fell in love with, but he screwed things up. A little while after that, just after Aunt Lily fell pregnant with Marvin, your father and I danced at Uncle Ted's friend's wedding. At the time, he was trying to fix things with Nora. I felt the chemistry, but before we kissed, Nora called him back. I fed him lines to tell her which were actually about my real feelings for him. After that happened, I started dating a guy named Kevin. A few months later, I was with Kevin and he was with Nora, and we cheated on them. We decided to tell them because we wanted to be together. I chickened out, but your dad told Nora and they broke up. A few weeks later, we had a pregnancy scare, and that was when I found out about my infertility."

"You're infertile?" Ellie asked quietly. "Is that why you and dad didn't work?"

"Kinda. But it wasn't only about that. I also didn't really want to have kids."

Ellie nodded. "Sorry, go on."

"Kevin proposed to me, but broke it off when I told him I couldn't have kids. Soon after, your dad started dating a stripper named Quinn. They got engaged around the time Marvin was born. By then, I was dating this incredibly stupid but gorgeous man named Nick. Quinn and your dad broke up because they didn't trust each other. I was planning to break up with Nick because we didn't have real feelings for each other, but backed out, so your dad came and delivered this beautiful speech about how we were in love. I thought it was fake, but later found out it was completely real. A few months later, after some weird back and forward feelings, your dad proposed to me, and I found out the last few months were all part of his plan. I said yes, and we got married in May 2013. We were good for a while, but by the time Penny was born, he was thinking about a family, and I wasn't. We started fighting a lot and weren't happy. One morning, we were in Argentina and super hungover, and asking if he wanted out of our relationship just slipped out. He agreed and that was that. It was what he wanted. We got divorced."

"Wow." Ellie whispered when Robin finished. "So, a lot happened."

"Yup."

As Ellie opened her mouth to ask a question, the front door opened and Barney came in. "Hey girls!" He wandered over to the couch and kissed Ellie's head, then hugged Robin. He was so tempted to kiss her too, but behaved himself. She had gone through so much in the past few months. They couldn't start a relationship, no matter how much he wanted to. "What have you been talking about?"

"Aunt Robin was telling me about when you two were married."

"Aunt Robin told you what?" Barney yelled, turning towards Robin.

"I already knew, I just asked her to explain what happened. Aunt Lily isn't very good at hiding things." Ellie replied. Barney calmed and looked apologetically at Robin.

"As long as she isn't telling you bad things about me."

Robin grinned mockingly. "Barn, it's hard not to say bad things about you."

"Take that back right this instant, madam!" He yelled, trying to mask that his heart was melting.

…

Barney looked across the table, wondering if this was making Robin uncomfortable. He hated that she was forced into this date. He knew she wasn't ready, and accepted that. She had only been single for six weeks. And technically, she was still married, as the divorce hadn't even gone through yet. She didn't deserve to have her love life be a constant battle between Barney and Ted, competing. As much as he'd love to get back together again, she had literally dated Ted, then him, then Ted again for a short while, then married him, then married Ted. Barney really wishes he was still married to her. He knew they could've made it work.

But, here they were at the restaurant, on a date with each other, eighteen years after their divorce. The only reason they were here was because Ellie set it up, and neither wanted to disappoint her.

"I'm really sorry, Robin."

She looked up from her meal, confused. "For what?"

"I'm really sorry about what you've had to deal with for the past few years with Ted, and the past few weeks living with my daughter and me. And, for what Ellie did. She shouldn't have set us up on a date. I'm really sorry for that." He hesitated, really wanting to add on, _and I'm sorry for letting you go in the first place. I love you_ , but he bit his tongue. "I just want what's best for you. I want you to be happy." 

"I wish we hadn't given up so easily."

Barney sighed. "Me either. I was so selfish. I was jealous of everyone else. You were doing so well in your career, I felt like I never saw you anymore. I was so proud of you, and wanted to spend all my time with you. It wasn't fair that I took my anger out on you when you were stressed. I never should've said yes to the divorce. I'm sorry I was so selfish."

"And I'm so sorry I made you feel like second best to my job. You were always important to me. It was just that weekend in Argentina, I was under a lot of pressure at work. It was all so stressful." She felt herself tearing up, and prayed something would get her out of this situation. She really didn't want to cry right now.

Fortunately, a waiter came over with the cheque. "Can I get you anything else, or are you ready to pay?"

Robin looked up gratefully. "We'll take the cheque, thanks."

The waiter handed her the bill. Robin opened it, and signed the receipt. "Just put it on my tab. Stinson." He nodded and left.

Barney eyed her from across the table, his credit card already in his hand. "I could've gotten it, Scherbatsky."

She waved him off. "It's all good. This place is close to my office, so I come here a lot. Hence why I have a tab."

They got up from the table and started walking back to the apartment. It was only fifteen minutes, and it was a nice night. Barney looked over to Robin. "Hey, how come you never changed your name?" After they got married, she had kept Scherbatsky for on air purposes only, but legally changed her surname to Stinson, and as he discovered recently, she kept it after the divorce.

"You know what a nightmare it was when I changed it the first time. I didn't want to go through the hassle again after we divorced." She explained. It was true. He remembers how hard of a time she had when they got married. "It was something that really pissed Ted off. We fought about it a lot. He's so traditional, and he wanted me to change it to Mosby for on air and legally. I didn't. I like Stinson better anyway. Everyone misspells Scherbatsky."

Barney laughed, and the two kept walking in the direction of the apartment.

…

Ellie leapt off the couch as soon as she heard the door open. She watched her father and aunt enter, eyes gleaming when she saw them holding hands.

"So, how'd it go?" She asked.

Barney smiled. "Good. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be."

"Duh! You guys have been friends since the stone age." She smiled. "But did you have fun? Do you love each other?"

Barney looked at Robin. "We never stopped loving each other, Elle." His voice was quiet.

Ellie grinned. "Bedroom is all yours. Have fun guys, but keep the moaning to a minimum please."

"ELIANA ISOBEL STINSON!" Barney yelled, dropping Robin's hand, and tackling his daughter onto the couch. Robin grinned as she watched the fourteen-year-old squeal and laugh. "Go to bed, you dirty little minx."

"Okay, okay." She giggled. "Night Aunt Robin. Night dad."

Ellie left the room, and Robin sat beside Barney. "I guess it's safe to say we have your daughter's blessing to date."

Barney smiled, and turned to look at her. He couldn't help thinking about how beautiful she is. Even in her fifties she was still gorgeous. He gently pressed his lips to hers gently. To his surprise, she didn't pull away.

She deepened the kiss, then pulled away for a second to mummer, "Let's figure this out later."

"Good plan." He whispered, as he pulled her back in to kiss her again.

…

 **A/N**

 **I've missed this story so much, but this chapter took a long time to write. Hope you guys enjoyed, and it was always going to end up with Swarkles. You knew that :)**


	20. My Little Girl

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for being so inactive! It's been pretty crazy around here. I'll try to be more active in the coming weeks. Thanks for sticking with me anyway :)**

 ** _My Little Girl_**

But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.

 **2044**

An ear-piercing shriek penetrated the room from the front yard. Barney shot up, pulling Will onto his hip. He had been entertaining his grandson while everyone set up for William's first birthday. Marvin and Marshall, who had been blowing up balloons in the same room as Barney looked over to him, panic evident on their faces.

"Who was that?" Marvin asked. Robin, Lily and Scarlett had just gotten home. They had been out picking up a few last things for the party.

Barney shrugged and ran out to the front of the house, still holding his grandson. "You girls okay?" He yelled out, as he opened the door.

"Mom!" Scarlett yelled.

"I'm sorry!" Robin cried out, holding her hands over her mouth. The cake sat on the ground, face down. Barney hid his smile, remembering how uptight Robin had been about Scar's first birthday. Scarlett was acting exactly like Robin had.

"What are we going to do now?" Scarlett screamed. "There's going to be no cake. The party is ruined!"

Barney bounded down the porch steps to Robin's side, helping her clean up. "Calm down, Scar. Someone can go pick up another one."

"Dad, you don't understand. I had to order that cake months in advance!"

Lily put a hand on her daughter-in-law's back. "Scar, calm down. We'll sort it out, okay? I'll make Will a cake. I've got time, and I can make it however you want. I just have to run to the store."

Scarlett took a deep breath. "Okay. Thanks, Lily."

Lily reached out and took Will from Barney. "Come on, little man. You come with me." She strapped Will into his carseat and then the two of them left for the store.

"Oh, Scar. There you are. Maggie has to tell you something." Marvin said, as Robin, Barney and Scarlett came into the living room.

Maggie looked like a deer caught in headlights. She and Daisy had been in charge of putting the decorations up in the backyard. "Um, don't kill me, but the custom balloons spelled Will's name wrong."

"THEY WHAT?" Scarlett yelled. "HOW DO YOU SCREW UP WILLIAM?"

Maggie shrugged. "Marvin's writing is terrible. He wrote it like Willium."

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Can this day get any worse?"

"Scarlett, you gotta calm down." Robin said, putting a hand on her daughter's neck. "It doesn't have to be perfect."

"Yes it does! It's his first birthday!" Scarlett exclaimed.

Robin smiled. "Do you remember your first birthday?"

Scarlett shook her head. "No."

"Good." Robin muttered to Barney. He snorted with laugher. Everything that could have gone wrong on Scar's first birthday did go wrong. Robin had been crazy and uptight about it too. "I was exactly the same way you are right now. Everything went wrong. You were sick, the venue was double booked so we had to have it outside, it was raining, our balloon order was messed up so we got baby shower balloons and everyone thought we were announcing that I was pregnant, and the cake they gave us was strawberry instead of vanilla."

Scarlett laughed. She's allergic to strawberries. "So, everyone thought you were pregnant?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "Yep. Grandma Loretta didn't leave me alone. Last time I ever let dad be in charge of picking up balloons."

"Hey!" Barney laughed, shoving Robin gently. "It was pretty funny."

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't have to be perfect. Will's not going to remember it, and you and Marvin might get a funny story to tell Will when he's older." Robin explained. "For now, everyone get a pen and fix the u's on the balloons into a's."

…

Barney smiled and looked around at the crazy number of guests surrounding the table. Everyone was singing happy birthday. He watched as his grandson stared wide-eyed at the cake on the table, and as his daughter bounced her son and kissed his cheek. It was still crazy to him that Scarlett had a baby. She still feels like his little girl. It feels like he blinked and the baby doll she played with turned into a real baby. He kissed the top of his wife's head. His arms were entwined around her waist, and she was in front of him. She smiled and turned around to kiss him properly.

"Happy birthday to you." Everyone finished. Marvin blew out the candles for his son, and began cutting cake. Scarlett passed Will to Barney as she helped plate up the slices. She handed the first plate to Barney, to give to his grandson. Will took a fistful of cake and smeared it across Barney's face.

"Mmm, thanks buddy." Barney laughed, licking around his mouth. "This is good cake, Lil."

…

It was late. Most of the guests from the party were long gone. Scarlett, Marvin, Maggie, and Daisy were outside together, while Lily, Marshall, Barney, and Robin were gathered in the living room, laughing and telling stories.

Robin smiled and laughed a little during a period of silence. "Isn't it funny, that after all these years, we all share a grandchild?"

"I was thinking about that earlier." Lily said with a smile.

Barney laughed. "Who would've thought Robin and I would have a grandchild?"

Lily smiled. "I did. I always knew you guys were going to work out."

Barney grinned. Lily really did have a sixth sense when it came to matchmaking.

…

 **A/N**

 **It's a little short, but whatever. Hope you enjoyed, and Happily Ever After will be out pretty soon :)**


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